15 March 2023 , 13:00
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Less than 12 months ago, the Manchester United dressing room was in disarray over the idea of handing Paul Pogba a contract so lucrative it would make him the Premier League's highest-paid player.
While the Frenchman was thought to be a popular figure around Old Trafford, there were question marks over just how deserving Pogba was of a deal that would have seen him pocket a basic salary of £400,000-a-week, with add-ons potentially taking it up to the half-a-million mark.
Mirror Football exclusively reported last year how other members of the United squad felt Pogba's persistent injury issues and tendency to discuss leaving the club meant he should not have been in line for such a significant pay rise.
Well, 11 months later and the situation looks drastically different, while those same United players who raised objections to Pogba's proposed extension have been proven right.
The World Cup winner is no longer at Old Trafford, having since returned to Juventus for the second spell in Turin of his career. Pogba opted to join the Old Lady once again after his United deal expired last summer.
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However, it has been a nightmare move so far and the reason why is something United's players predicted. Pogba has barely featured for Juventus due to a serious injury that kept him sidelined for the majority of the season so far.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Can Pogba turn things around at Juventus? Comment below
Paul Pogba has barely featured for Juventus since re-joining (Getty Images)Two weeks after his second spell at the Serie A giants was confirmed, the club were forced to release some bleak news during the pre-season training.
"Following complaining of pain in his right knee, Paul Pogba underwent radiological examinations that revealed a lesion of the lateral meniscus," Juventus revealed in a statement.
Things have soured so badly so quickly that Pogba has actually felt compelled to apologise to Juventus fans for how little he has been able to feature so far this term amid speculation patience from within the club is wearing thin.
In a video shared by Calciomercato, Pogba can be seen saying "Sorry, my head’s not in it.” upon being approached by fans outside Juve's medical centre.
Meanwhile, United look significantly stronger now than when they had Pogba at the club. While the midfield is still arguably the side's problem area, Erik ten Hag has guided the Red Devils to third in the Premier League table.
Pogba may be left wondering whether he should have tried harder to extend his stay at Old Trafford instead of fleeing to Turin.