There is little doubt that Paul Pogba is one of the most highly coveted stars in football, the game’s biggest players and clubs repeatedly expressing their admiration for his ability. Transfer chatter has continually grown and there is talk that it would take world record fee to prise the midfielder away from Juventus this summer. He may be at the centre of rumours linking him with the likes of Real Madrid, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, but his focus is on helping his current club defeat Barcelona this Saturday, while that aforementioned trio can only watch the Champions League Final and dream of what might have been.
– #Quiz360: Monday – WIN Vivitar Action Camera
– Pogba: Ignoring transfer talk to focus on final
– UCL: Where to watch the final – Juve v Barca – in the UAE
Pogba’s rise since arriving at Juve back in August 2012 has been like simply sensational, going from being an under-utilised and frustrated member of the Manchester United reserves to a central figure at Italy’s most storied club. His poor relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson has been well-documented, prompting the player to run down his contract and move on a free transfer, the English giants receiving only minimal compensation in return.
“After just a few training sessions we saw how good he was,” Gigi Buffon said of the 22 year old recently, adding that he had “never seen a player who is so good at his age, he is so strong, so technically gifted, has exceptional all-round play.” That ability has been on display since Antonio Conte handed Pogba his Juventus debut just a month after he swapped Old Trafford for Turin. His first goal would come just a week later, and by the end of the season he had established himself as a regular in the starting XI, the club comfortably securing another league title.
That would be impressive enough, but that he did so in a team which had gone undefeated in the previous campaign, boasting the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal in midfield only serves to make his impact even greater. Since then he has only grown in importance to La Vecchia Signora, blossoming into a complete player, contributing in almost every facet of the game as he displays the talent Buffon recognised in those early days.
Pogba has made 128 in those famous black and white stripes, netting 24 goals, with his long-range efforts quickly becoming his calling card. Known locally as a “Pog-Boom,” those shots have seen some excellent goalkeepers rendered mere bystanders as the ball flies from his right boot with both incredible force and deadly accuracy.
Yet there is so much more to his game than those lethal strikes, possessing a wonderful first touch and superb skill once the ball is under his control. Able to leave embarrassed defenders in his wake, Pogba is blessed with both the speed and strength to keep them at bay, making him a vital weapon in the Juve attack. Alongside Carlos Tevez, Álvaro Morata and Vidal, the French international allows the Bianconeri to hunt down the ball and then quickly transition from defence to attack.
That has been a vital part of the team’s play under Max Allegri this season, central to their march to the Champions League final and particularly evident in their 5-1 demolition of Borussia Dortmund in the Last Sixteen. In the first leg he was arguably Juve’s best player, putting on a display which encapsulated everything he has become; Pogba was defensively sound, intelligent on the ball and bagged a crucial assist for Morata’s decisive goal.
He would repeat that feat at the Bernabéu in the semi-final, winning a header which once again found the Spanish striker who made no mistake from twelve yards out against his former club. That was enough to clinch their place in the final, and with a domestic double already secure, Pogba and Juventus travel to Berlin in search of an historic treble.
Like their young star, the Old Lady has progressed over their time together, winning the Scudetto in each of his three seasons while last year’s Europa League Semi Final loss followed a Champions League exit at the Quarter Final stage in his debut campaign. Yet it has not all been smooth sailing, Pogba receiving surprising criticism from his coach this past weekend after he believed the Paris-born midfielder was guilty of over-elaborate play in Juve’s game away to Hellas Verona.
Chelsea are now in pole position to sign Paul Pogba this summer, according to Italian newspaper La Stampa. #cfc pic.twitter.com/Qw6g5VIlyz
— Mourinholic (@Mourinholic) June 1, 2015
“He’s very talented, but when his concentration drops then he can make technical errors,” Allegri told reporters after the 2-2 draw. “This is part of his growth process and he should stop showboating in midfield,” the former Milan boss added, but the player showed incredible maturity when asked about those comments by Sport 360. “I take it as advice,” Pogba told us, going on to say that “what the coach is saying is the truth so I have to keep that focus for 90 minutes.”
Looking to ignore those endless transfer rumours, his attention is now fully on Saturday’s final against a highly favoured opponent, but Pogba believes the Bianconeri can overcome the odds to beat Lionel Messi and co. in the most prestigious match on the European calendar. “To beat Barca we need a little luck, but in a final you never know,” he said at a media event on Monday, “a red card or a penalty might change history.”
Indeed it might, and just as they did Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane before him, it would be fitting if Juventus emerged triumphant thanks to France’s latest superstar.
