On November 20, 2018, reports emerged that Juventus had made contact over a possible return for Paul Pogba before their Champions League meeting with Manchester United earlier that month.
The France midfielder left Turin for Old Trafford in 2016 in a £89million move, then the world record fee, but speculation about a comeback had continued to follow him. Pogba added to the noise on November 7 when he described Juventus as his “home” in the build-up to the match.
According to the report, Juventus officials wanted to be kept updated on Pogba’s situation in Manchester, where his relationship with Jose Mourinho had become strained. The same account said the midfielder had been told he would not captain the side again.
Italian reports also claimed Pogba had already told former teammates that he wanted to return to the Allianz Stadium. Manchester United, meanwhile, were preparing for the next stage of the season after their shock 2-1 win over Juventus.
Pogba reported for training on Tuesday as he worked to prove his fitness for Saturday’s game against Crystal Palace. He had withdrawn from the France squad for matches against Holland and Uruguay after missing United’s derby defeat at the Etihad.
He was expected to be available for Palace, and Anthony Martial, who also pulled out of Didier Deschamps’ squad, was also said to be in contention.
