Paul Pogba is already preparing himself to be fit before Juventus begin their pre-season training, but the Bianconeri want the French midfielder to perform well in their friendlies before the 2023/24 Serie A season starts. To get a head start, Pogba returned to training a week before his teammates in Turin.
The 30-year-old struggled with injuries throughout the 2022/23 campaign, making 10 competitive appearances and playing for a paltry tally of 161 minutes. Due to his lack of playing time and high salary, the Bianconeri are running out of patience and they want to see if he can be a talisman for the team.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Juventus may consider selling Pogba if his performances are not up to scratch in the pre-season friendlies. Although Bianconeri coach Massimiliano Allegri and his staff are aware that he has been sidelined for a long time, France international is the highest-paid player at club and he needs to quickly demonstrate that he is worthy of such a wage.
Juventus want to cut costs, and Pogba’s salary is huge
The capital gains investigation has had a significant impact on Juventus on and off the pitch, and the Old Lady want to cut salary costs. Allegri and his staff will assess Pogba’s physical condition as well as his role within the team while the new board need to contemplate whether it is worth keeping the midfielder in the squad for what he is invoicing.
The Frenchman currently earns €8 million plus €2m annually despite his limited playing time and lengthy spells on the treatment table. Juventus will not rule out a request for the 30-year-old to take a pay cut or a sale to ease the financial strain on the club.
Pogba could be sold to Saudi Arabia if he fails to impress
There have been many stars from Europe’s major leagues leaving the continent for lucrative wages in Saudi Arabia, and Pogba becoming another footballer to do so is not beyond the realms of possibility.
His agent Rafaela Pimenta met with some representatives from the Middle East about a possible transfer albeit in a meeting that the France international had no knowledge of. It is clear though that Juventus cannot afford another season like 2022/23 from Pogba and if the 30-year-old is cannot perform at the elite level and sizeable wages are his focus, then he might be forced to leave Serie A for good.
