Even a World-Record Transfer Fee Should Not Tempt Juventus to Sell Paul Pogba
With Juventus having clinched a fifth consecutive Serie A title with three matches remaining—and with the Coppa Italia final still to be played—much has been said about the contributions of many members of the squad.
Coach Massimiliano Allegri has overseen a superb campaign from a number of new signings, with Paulo Dybala and Sami Khedira arguably foremost among them. Meanwhile, long-serving veterans such as Gigi Buffon, Andrea Barzagli and Patrice Evra have maintained a remarkable consistency in every game.
However, arguably even more important has been the development seen in both Leonardo Bonucci and Paul Pogba. Indeed, while the former has evolved into one of Europe's most accomplished central defenders, his French team-mate has blossomed to arguably an even higher level.
Having previously been the promising youngster in Juve's star-studded midfield, Pogba played a supporting role alongside Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo. He would occasionally prove to be a match-winner, but the departure of that latter pair before the start of 2015/16 saw the Bianconeri demand more from the 23-year-old.
Pogba struggled with the weight of such expectation in the early weeks, the poor performances of the new-look team around him adding to his struggles and failing to provide an environment in which his ability could shine.
Gradually, however—as he grew comfortable with his new team-mates—the former Manchester United man became the dominant force he had long been expected to be. He has delivered 10 goals and 14 assists in all competitions, beating his previous career-high marks of nine and eight, respectively, and many proved to be decisive.
Since Juventus were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League in early March, Pogba has raised his game to an even higher standard, netting in that loss to Bayern Munich and starting an eight-game streak in which he has scored or created a goal every time he stepped onto the field.
That has seen transfer speculation increase further still, with La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) listing Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain as potential bidders.
Each could be expected to break the world transfer record to secure a deal, but Juventus should resist no matter how high the price goes as Pogba is clearly the centre-piece of this revamped side.
Now with freedom to burst forward and create openings for others, his vast potential has opened up immense possibilities for a side also blessed with the likes of Alex Sandro and Dybala. Losing Pogba would halt that hope no matter who was signed to replace him.
The Bianconeri appear to recognise this, with Turin-based newspaper La Stampa (h/t Football Italia) believing the club have offered the player a new contract while the management team sing his praises.
“I would keep him” Allegri told a recent press conference when asked to choose between Pogba or €100 million, and director general Beppe Marotta was even more emphatic in a recent interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I agree with what Allegri said about Pogba,” the club official told the sports daily (h/t Ben Gladwell of ESPN FC). “We also want to build a competitive team and, for this, Pogba is a fundamental component.”
Juventus will not be able to attract the kind of stars needed to win in Europe if they cannot hold onto the most important members of their squad, and after the upheaval of last summer, they need some stability this time around.
Pogba has proved his ability over recent months and will continue to improve, meaning that even a world-record transfer fee should not tempt Juventus to sell their latest talismanic No. 10.
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