Paul Pogba completes move back to Juventus on a free transfer

Paul Pogba has completed his move back to Juventus from Manchester United on a free transfer, the Serie A club announced on Monday.

The France international, 29, arrived in Italy to complete his medical on Saturday, bringing to an end an ill-fated six-year spell at Old Trafford.

Pogba returns to the club where he enjoyed huge success between 2012 to 2016, winning four successive scudetti and two Coppa Italias.

"When we say goodbye after an intense adventure shared together, there is always a glimmer of hope that we will see each other again, sooner or later. With Paul that is exactly what has happened," read a statement on the Juventus website.

"Although we parted ways, we never really forgot about each other, and there is something ancestral in the call that after a thousand adventures eventually leads you back home.

"Paul is back in Turin. He left as a boy and returns as a man and a champion, but there is one thing that has not changed - the desire to write unforgettable pages of club history together once more. Pogba is back and we couldn’t be happier."

United confirmed the midfielder would be leaving the club last month upon the end of his contract.

The 2018 World Cup winner was sold back to United for £89 million in 2016 but Pogba was often criticised for lacklustre performances and chronic inconsistency.

Pogba enjoyed early success upon his return to England, helping United win both the League Cup and Europa League in 2017. He enjoyed his most productive season in 2018/19, scoring 13 goals and adding nine assists as United finished sixth in the Premier League.

Pogba infamously fell out with former manager Jose Mourinho and he endured numerous injury setbacks, particularly in his final season. His inconsistent form was also often at odds with his excellent form for France, for whom he played an integral role in winning the 2018 World Cup.

He made just 16 Premier League starts during his final season at Old Trafford, producing one goal and nine assists as United finished sixth with a club record low of 58 points.

Pogba returns to a very different Juventus to the one he left six years ago. The club finished trophyless last season, finishing fourth in Serie A for a second successive season as well as losing the Coppa Italia final to Inter Milan.

Club stalwarts Giorgio Chiellini and Paulo Dybala have both departed while Alvaro Moratta returns to parent club Atletico Madrid following the end of his loan.

Wingers Federico Chiesa and Angel di Maria have been recruited from Fiorentina and Paris Saint-Germain respectively while Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo is also a target.

75 notable summer transfers