PogBACK: Juve star FINALLY grabs first assist since leaving Man Utd

Cameron Smith

• 12 May 2023 12:15 BST
• 3 min read

With Juventus 1-0 down in the first-leg of their Europa League semi-final tie against Sevilla, Massimiliano Allegri turned to star summer signing, and transfer flop, Paul Pogba.

A short time later, in the seventh minute of added time, the Frenchman guided a header back across goal into the path of Federic Gatti, who tapped the ball home to ensure the tie is finely poised ahead of the second-leg in Seville.

The assist was Pogba’s first goal contribution since he returned to the club on a free transfer upon the expiry of his Manchester United contract last summer. So far, the move has been nothing more than an unnecessary expenditure.

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Pogba has played just 137 minutes of action this season and is still yet to start a game due to multiple injury issues. In total, the midfielder has suffered five injuries since returning to Juventus, missing over 45 games this season.

In September, the 30-year-old underwent surgery for a torn meniscus that he suffered during the summer and which had not responded to conservative treatment. He tried to recover in time for the World Cup with France but then suffered a thigh injury prior to the finals.

He missed the entirety of Juventus’ woeful Champions League campaign, in which they crashed out in the group stages with just three points from six games, and has not yet been substituted onto the pitch before the 60th minute mark since his return to the club.

READ: Man Utd have made transfer profit on FOUR players in 10 years

Why did Juventus re-sign Pogba?

Juve refused to extend Paulo Dybala’s contract last summer due to their desire to re-sign Pogba, a decision that has come back to bite them. The Argentine forward has scored 15 goals and provided seven assists across Serie A and the Europa League, and has fired Roma towards a top four finish.

On the other hand, Pogba is currently the highest-paid player in Serie A and earns an annual wage of €8 million, plus a potential €2m in bonuses, while 26 Juve players have racked up more minutes than him in Serie A this season. That includes Denis Zakaria, who joined Chelsea on loan last summer, and young midfielder Enzo Barrenechea.