Paul Pogba has completed a return to Juventus after his departure from Manchester United.

Pogba left United in June following the expiration of his contract, and had long been expected to rejoin his former club in Turin.

He left Juve to rejoin United six years ago, in a then-world record deal worth £89m (€112m).

Pogba spent four years at Juve during his last spell at the club, having also joined Juve on a free transfer from United in 2012. The France midfielder will wear the number 10 shirt for the Bianconeri, who signed Angel Di Maria on a free transfer last week.

His return to Old Trafford in 2016 was seen as a statement move by United as they looked to re-establish themselves as English football's premier power after three disappointing years since Alex Ferguson's retirement.

But Pogba's arrival was not the catalyst for a return to the glory years for United, who have not won the Premier League title since 2013.

Pogba has become a representation of United's underachievement in the eyes of many supporters, with his performances rarely at the level most expected for a world-record signing.

His relationship with fans was often fractious and their chants of "f*** off Pogba" – to which he responded by cupping his ear – during the April win over Norwich City suggested a parting of ways was likely the best option for all parties.

He leaves United having won the Europa League and EFL Cup once apiece.

While Juve have strengthened by bringing in Di Maria and Pogba, they look set to sell defender Matthijs de Ligt to fellow European heavyweights Bayern Munich.

Andrea Barzagli believes the signings of Paul Pogba and Angel Di Maria have the potential to make his former club Juventus "great again".

The 41-year-old won Serie A eight times with Juve before retiring in 2019. 

Since then, his old side have only won one of the three Scudetti that have been contested, but Barzagli thinks their business in the transfer market can see them challenge next season.

Barzagli told Tuttosport: "Pogba and Di Maria shift the balance, because that's two arrivals.

"[Romelu] Lukaku has shown he can make a difference in Serie A, but the two Juventus signings bring that personality and quality that was a bit lacking.

"Pogba and Di Maria will make Juventus great again."

Di Maria has previously played in Spain with Real Madrid, England with Manchester United and France with Paris Saint-Germain, and he was officially confirmed as a Bianconeri signing on Friday – the same day Pogba jetted in to Turin.

Pogba is set for a second stint with Juve, having represented the club alongside Barzagli between 2012 and 2016, playing for United before and after that spell.

Juventus must challenge for both the Champions League and Serie A crowns this coming season after recruiting Paul Pogba and Angel Di Maria.

That is according to Juve and Italy great Gianluca Zambrotta, who also told Stats Perform he expects Inter to be a stronger force with Romelu Lukaku back at the club.

Juve confirmed the signing of former Paris Saint-Germain forward Di Maria on Friday, with fellow free agent Pogba also set to join following his departure from Manchester United.

Pogba knows the Turin giants well having already spent four seasons at the Allianz Stadium, winning the Scudetto in each of those and making 178 appearances in total.

Fellow former United player Di Maria is playing in Italy for the first time, meanwhile, with this the Argentina international's sixth different club in as many countries.

And having brought in players boasting plenty of pedigree, Zambrotta says challenging for Serie A alone – after back-to-back fourth-place finishes – will not be enough for Juve.

"Juventus will certainly have to play a different championship because they must return to be competitive not only in Italy but also in Europe," he said. 

"And they have to do that right away and not just a little bit because they cannot think to wait any more."

Pogba and Di Maria join a squad already boasting the likes of January recruit Dusan Vlahovic and winger Federico Chiesa, who is closing in on a return from a long-term lay-off.

That will be a welcome headache for Massimiliano Allegri, while fierce rivals Inter must also find a way to slot Lukaku back into the side following his return on loan from Chelsea.

"Juve could play with Di Maria on one side, Chiesa on the other side and Vlahovic in the middle," said 2006 World Cup winner Zambrotta, who spent seven years with Juve.

"It is clear that it becomes an important attack, very, very technical and very dynamic on the wings. 

"At Inter, Lukaku is a player who [Simone] Inzaghi did not want to leave anyway, then he left but Inter did very well anyway. 

"So he is a player who certainly can be important for Inter and that the coach clearly values, and he will certainly do well paired with Lautaro Martinez. 

"Then there are many attackers who are possibly leaving. Nobody knows who will come out and who will arrive again. But Lukaku and Martinez are already well tested."

Paul Pogba is undergoing a medical at Juventus as he edges ever closer to sealing a return to his former club.

The France international is set for a second spell with the Bianconeri following his departure from Manchester United upon the expiration of his contract.

Pogba was greeted by many Juventus supporters when he arrived at the club's medical centre on Saturday, having jetted into Turin the previous day.

The 2018 World Cup winner, who is expected to sign a four-year deal at the Allianz Stadium, enjoyed a trophy-laden first spell with the Serie A giants between 2012 and 2016.

Pogba won the Scudetto in each of his four seasons and helped the club reach the 2015 Champions League final, while registering 34 goals in 178 appearances across all competitions.

The ex-United midfielder is set to be joined at Juve by another former Red Devil in Angel Di Maria, who underwent a medical on Friday after leaving Paris Saint-Germain last season.

Paul Pogba told Juventus supporters, "We'll see each other soon", as the midfielder jetted into Turin to seal his Bianconeri return after leaving Manchester United.

The 2018 World Cup winner spent a trophy-laden four years at Juventus after originally leaving United in 2012, winning a Serie A title in every season before returning to Old Trafford in a then-world record move in 2016.

Despite lifting the Europa League and EFL Cup trophies in his first campaign after returning, Pogba's second spell with United proved to be largely underwhelming, and the club confirmed he would depart on a free transfer last month after a new contract was not agreed.

Pogba was immediately linked with another return to a former stomping ground with a return to Juventus, whose chief executive Maurizio Arrivabene said talks were progressing "very, very well" on June 30.

And in a video posted to his social media accounts from a private jet on Friday, Pogba revealed the move was close.

"It's time, it's time, yes sir," the midfielder declared, adding in Italian; "we'll see each other soon." 

Pogba, who made 178 appearances and scored 34 goals in his first spell with the Bianconeri, also added the caption '#PogAlmostBack', in a reference to his 2016 unveiling at United.

The enigmatic midfielder made a bright start to his final season at Old Trafford as he recorded four assists in his first appearance of the campaign, but went on to add just five more in his next 26 outings as the Red Devils missed out on Champions League qualification. 

Pogba is not the only imminent arrival at the Turin giants, who confirmed on Friday that Argentina star Angel Di Maria was undergoing a medical at the club ahead of sealing his own free transfer, having left Paris Saint-Germain.

With his departure from Manchester United on the horizon, Paul Pogba had been free to discuss his future with other clubs since January.

Failing to ever really match his then world-record price tag with performances on the pitch, the World Cup winner's next destination always seemed limited to a few options.

Reports suggest a return to Serie A and Juventus is imminent.

TOP STORY – POGBA SET FOR FOUR-YEAR DEAL AT JUVENTUS

Paul Pogba is expected to complete medical in Turin this weekend to open the path for a free transfer to Juventus, according to Sky Sports.

Leaving Manchester United at the end of June upon the expiry of his contract, the move to Juve would see him return to the club where he spent four years and established his reputation.

Upon completion of his medical, the 29-year-old is reportedly set to sign a four-year deal with the club.

This comes after Pogba turned down what was reported to be a 3.5 per cent increase on his wages at Manchester United.

ROUND-UP

- Bayern Munich have reached a verbal agreement with Juve's Matthijs de Ligt amid interest from Chelsea, according to Sport1.

- Tottenham are keen on signing Villarreal's Pau Torres despite the impending arrival of Clement Lenglet, the Mirror is reporting.

- Newcastle United are willing to meet Bayer Leverkusen's asking price for Moussa Diaby, per the Telegraph.

- New Paris Saint-Germain boss Christophe Galtier hopes Neymar can stay at the club amid speculation over his future, The Sun is reporting.

Paul Pogba is seemingly closing in on a return to Juventus after the club's CEO claimed talks are progressing "very, very well".

Manchester United confirmed at the start of June that Pogba was set to leave at the end of his contract, with former club Juventus his likeliest next destination.

His United contract officially expired on Thursday, and although he has not already reached an agreement with another club, it would appear to be a formality.

Nevertheless, reports suggest Pogba will be paid significantly less than he was at United, with Juve said to be the only club taking an interest in him.

As such, Juve chief Maurizio Arrivabene seems confident a deal is likely, and the Frenchman will be considered a major signing from a "commercial" perspective.

"We are talking to him, things are evolving very, very well," he told Tuttosport. "[The idea came about] in our meetings, when names are mentioned.

"It was like that with [Dusan] Vlahovic. You open the door, throw a name and everyone looks at you like you're crazy. Then, little by little, the machine starts up and the operation is built.

"[The idea of] Pogba was born this way. His presence will also be fundamental from a commercial point of view, even if my dream is to have an Italian player who is internationally recognised, like a [Francesco] Totti, a [Alessandro] Del Piero, a [Gianluigi Buffon] Buffon."

Arrivabene also expressed regret over last year's departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, who returned to Manchester United.

Ronaldo spent three years at Juve and has been tentatively linked with a move back to Turin – Arrivabene appeared to dismiss that idea, even if he believes the club needs experienced players to guide their more promising youngsters.

"He was not fully exploited because of COVID [the pandemic], but I am convinced that Juve goes beyond every player," he said.

"125 years of history are not written by a single player; the team is more important than individuals, and here everyone has to respect the rules.

"It's not a change of course, but we need points of reference. I saw the Ronaldo effect on our young players, now players like [Nicolo] Fagioli, [Matias] Soule and [Fabio] Miretti must have players to learn from."

Romelu Lukaku completing his return to Inter would make the Nerazzurri favourites to win Serie A next season, according to Milan legend Alessandro Costacurta.

Lukaku is reportedly nearing an Inter comeback less than a year after making a club-record £97.5million move to Chelsea, where he scored just eight Premier League goals as Thomas Tuchel's men finished third.

The Belgian had scored 30 goals and added 11 assists during his final season with Inter, helping the Nerazzurri end an 11-year wait for a league title as they finished 12 points clear of local rivals Milan.

While the Rossoneri fought back to end their own long Scudetto drought last month, Costacurta believes the return of Lukaku would shift the balance of power in Inter's favour.

"I think they also were [favourites] last year," he told TuttoMercato.

"Inter were the strongest last year and with Lukaku the gap with the others is getting wider."

Costacurta also expects Juventus to be back in the title mix after they finished fourth in consecutive Serie A seasons, but claims the return of Federico Chiesa, who sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in January, is more important to their prospects than the potential arrival of Paul Pogba.  

"A lot will depend on the recovery of Chiesa, one of the best players in Europe. If he recovers well, Juve will fight against Inter," the former defender said.

"This will be the blow, the one that most of all can shift the balance. More than Pogba."

Meanwhile, Milan are reportedly looking to bolster their own attack with moves for departing Liverpool forward Divock Origi and Real Madrid's Marco Asensio, and Costacurta, who won five European Cup/Champions League titles with the Rossoneri, believes both would be useful additions.

"I have never been in love with him [Origi], but he is a wonderful player," he said.

"Like [Olivier] Giroud, he will be able to help. They are not extraordinary players, but [you need] to have players like that, like Giroud last year." 

On Asensio, Costacurta added: "He is an excellent player, he has a lot of quality."

Costacurta's glittering playing career saw him establish a fearsome defensive partnership with Milan's current technical director Paolo Maldini, and although reports have suggested the Rossoneri legend could leave in the absence of a new contract offer, Costacurta remains confident his old friend will extend his stay.

"I can't imagine a Milan without Paolo Maldini," he said. "I don't think they [the club] are morons and so I imagine that as soon as they can, Maldini will sign. 

"I don't even ask myself the problem. A radical change of strategy would be harmful. 

"It seems to me that everything is going very well. The limited budget leads to a lot of ideas, I wouldn't worry much about it."

It is fair to say that Paul Pogba's time at Manchester United has been somewhat polarising.

The France midfielder ultimately struggled to consistently provide the football that made him such a sought-after player in Italy with Juventus, before his big-money move back to United in 2016.

Reports suggest with his contract at Old Trafford expiring at the end of the month, Pogba will be heading back to the Serie A giants to try and revive his reputation.

TOP STORY – POGBA SET FOR JUVENTUS RETURN

Paul Pogba is set have his wish granted and will return to Juventus, according to Fabrizio Romano.

With his contract expiring at Manchester United, his wage demands could only realistically be met by a select number of clubs in Europe.

Pogba had reportedly only wanted to return to Italy with the Bianconeri, where he left a four-time Serie A and two-time Coppa Italia winner in 2016.

The 29-year-old's agent will meet with Juve representatives on Thursday, with a medical to be completed at the beginning of July when his contract at Old Trafford officially ends.

ROUND-UP

– Ajax are set to make another offer for Steven Bergwijn meanwhile, with Tottenham not accepting offers below £25million (€29m), per Sky Sports.

– Barcelona boss Xavi is hopeful Ousmane Dembele will sign a new contract to ward off Chelsea interest, Goal reports.

– Goal also report that winger Antony is determined to join Manchester United from Ajax.

– Leeds United have valued Brazil international Raphinha at £65m (€75.3m) amid interest from Tottenham, Chelsea and Barcelona, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Alessandro Del Piero believes the imminent returns of Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba to Serie A will be a "great move" for Italian football.

Juventus are poised to re-sign Pogba following his departure from Manchester United, while Inter are pushing to bring Lukaku back from Chelsea following a disappointing year in the Premier League.

Both players will represent marquee additions for the two Serie A title hopefuls as they seek to knock Milan off their perch next season, while also boosting them in the hunt for glory in the Champions League.

Juventus legend Del Piero believes the deals have further significance, however, as he feels they can help to push Italian football to compete with the other top leagues in Europe following a number of years off the pace.

"Now the Premier League is the best football you can see in terms of number of teams that can perform at a high level and what happened in the Champions League, in the Europa League how they performed is the answer," he told ESPN.

“It's a different kind of sport in some moments. It seems in the Premier League you run more, you have more physicality, you are more spectacular. 

"It's not exactly like this because in Italy we have this kind of thing but Italy is struggling now: the national team and also in the club teams.  

"So last season showed a little bit more. Roma's win [in the Europa Conference League] is a good hope for the future in the Europa competitions. 

"So Lukaku for Inter and Pogba for Juve could be a great move also for Italian football to become again stronger and have a voice in the Champions League especially."

Since Inter won the Champions League under Jose Mourinho in 2009-10, Juventus are the only Italian side to have reached the final – losing to Barcelona in 2014-15 and then to Real Madrid two years later.

Gary Neville says the nature of Paul Pogba's departure from Manchester United "leaves a bad taste in the mouth".

The 2018 World Cup winner announced his United exit this month, and is leaving the Red Devils on a free transfer six years on from joining for a then-world record £89million fee.

It is the second time Pogba has departed the Red Devils as a free agent, and having spent four trophy-laden years with Juventus last time around, he has been strongly linked with a return to the Bianconeri. 

Although Pogba recorded more Premier League assists (38) and created more chances (231) than any other United player during his second spell with the club, the Red Devils have failed to win a major trophy since 2017.

Pogba hit out at United for making a "mistake" in not offering him a better deal in an Amazon Prime documentary this week, but Neville insists the France midfielder did not do himself justice at Old Trafford.

"I'm not bothered about Pogba's comments to be honest with you," Neville said during a live stream on his TikTok account.

"I think that once a player has left, he can say whatever he wants. Fine, no problem. But I don't think he has performed well over the last six years.

"I don't think the club have performed well with him either, or handled him well. It's been a partnership that, to be fair, has failed on both sides so that is what you'd have to say.

"There is no winner when a player leaves after six years with the money that has been spent and very little has been won.

"The player leaves dissatisfied, and the club are dissatisfied with it as well. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth because it's the second time it's happened.

"You wish him all the best in the future at Juventus."

Manchester United must start being active in the transfer market amid links to the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Christopher Nkunku, otherwise they risk failing to rebuild under Erik ten Hag.

That is the message from United great and television pundit Gary Neville, who warned that late transfer activity will only make Ten Hag's task tougher.

Ten Hag faces a sizeable rebuilding job after inhering a United side that finished with their lowest ever points tally in the 2021-22 Premier League campaign.

The Red Devils also failed to end a league campaign with a positive goal difference (zero) for the first time since the 1989-90 season.

Paul Pogba is heading for the exit door at the end of June when his contract expires, along with Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata, as Ten Hag looks to leave his mark at Old Trafford.

Reports have linked United to numerous players, such as Nkunku, De Jong and Christian Eriksen, while Ten Hag's former Ajax players Jurrien Timber and Antony have also been floated as options.

West Ham midfielder Declan Rice and Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres may appear more far-fetched options, but Neville says United must get to business otherwise their already difficult task will become even harder.

"The others seem set and ready, yet United can't get moving," Neville wrote on Twitter on Thursday.

"[Ten Hag] needs his group together [as soon as possible] to mould them. Bringing them in late will only make it harder for him. [Fingers crossed] it happens soon!"

Ten Hag will hope to have a busy transfer window ahead of the first Premier League game of the 2022-23 season when United will host Brighton and Hove Albion on August 7.

It will be the Dutchman's first competitive game in charge of the Red Devils, who will play their opening top-flight match at home for a sixth straight season – the longest current run of any Premier League side.

Paul Pogba would be an "excellent" acquisition for Juventus should the Bianconeri manage to re-sign the former Manchester United midfielder, according to Italy legend Marco Tardelli.

Pogba, who spent four trophy-laden years in Turin between 2012 and 2016, has been strongly linked with a return to Juventus after his United departure was confirmed.

No United player registered as many Premier League assists (38) or chances created (231) as Pogba during his six-year spell at Old Trafford, although his second spell at the club ended in disappointing fashion, with the 2018 World Cup winner playing just 1,354 minutes of domestic league football last season.

Tardelli, who won five Serie A titles with Juventus during his playing career, insisted that while returning to a former club is always difficult, Pogba would be an ideal signing for coach Massimiliano Allegri.

"I believe that returns are always difficult, because there are higher expectations," Tardelli said, quoted by ANSA. "But it is an excellent acquisition."

Tardelli said Juventus needed to sign players who could make "an important contribution in every department". The squad is set for an overhaul, after finishing fourth in Serie A for a second successive season, having won the title in each of the nine previous campaigns.

The fact there are unusually few prominent Italian players at Juventus may not be helping the national team, who missed out on qualification for the World Cup and sit third in Nations League group A3 after winning just one of their first four games.

None of the five players to have played the most Serie A minutes for Juventus in the 2021-22 season (Wojciech Szczesny, Matthijs de Ligt, Juan Cuadrado, Alvaro Morata and Adrien Rabiot) are Italian, with Manuel Locatelli sixth on that list.

Roberto Mancini's Italy endured a disappointing international break in June, being thrashed 5-2 by Germany on Tuesday having begun the month with a 3-0 reverse to a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina at Wembley, and Tardelli also believes the Azzurri are missing an elite forward.

"There is a block of foreigners [at Juventus] more than anything else," Tardelli said. "[Italy forwards Gianluca] Scamacca and [Giacomo] Raspadori play for Sassuolo, a team with little international experience.

"We lack a champion, especially in the advanced department, a player who manages to invent a pass, not strictly the number nine.

"If you don't score a goal there is always a problem, but I have faith in Scamacca, I also had it in [Ciro] Immobile but, if you don't show signs, you are criticised.

"Mancini is doing an excellent job; he is trying to find young people, and he has done it well in some cases. We need to have patience and hope to find a champion like [Francesco] Totti, like [Roberto] Baggio or like [Alessandro] Del Piero, because now I don't see him yet."

Paul Pogba wants to prove Manchester United made a "mistake" by allowing the midfielder to leave at the end of his contract.

The World Cup winner is out of contract at the end of June, ending a six-year stay at Old Trafford after re-signing for United from Juventus for a then-world record £89million fee.

Juve are widely expected to sign Pogba as Massimiliano Allegri attempts to bring the France international back to Turin.

Pogba, speaking in his new Amazon Prime documentary 'The Pogmentary' that comes out on Friday, expressed his desire to show United what they are missing.

"My thought process is to show Manchester [United] that they made a mistake in waiting to give me a contract," he said, as quoted by The Athletic.

"And to show other clubs that Manchester had made a mistake in not offering me a contract."

Reports suggest United made two advances to extend the contract of Pogba, but the 29-year-old claims the club offered him "nothing".

"How can you tell a player you absolutely want him and offer him nothing?" he added. "Never seen that."

Pogba will leave United with just the Europa League and EFL Cup successes to his name as Erik ten Hag prepares to build a new era with the Red Devils.

Still, with 67 goals and assists in the Premier League since the start of 2016-17, United are waving goodbye to a player who has been involved in 17.5 per cent of their goals across that period – only Marcus Rashford (21.9 per cent) has directly contributed to more.

Despite winning the Premier League title this past season, Manchester City are not wasting time when it comes to improving their squad.

With the signings of Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland already confirmed, the next order of business for the blue half of Manchester is bolstering the midfield.

While City have reportedly long identified who fits their criteria, now they may be able to advance with negotiations.

TOP STORY – MAN CITY TO MOVE FOR PHILLIPS

Having already closed on other positional needs, Manchester City are preparing to table an offer for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, according to the Athletic.

Reports suggest a bid will soon be on the way, following the completion of the 26-year-old's international commitments with England.

Phillips has been a target of City for some time, but with Rodri in need of competition, the incentive to sign him has increased after Fernandinho's unexpected departure from the Etihad Stadium.

City are said to believe a figure between £45million and £50m will be sufficient for Leeds to part with Phillips.

– Juventus expect Paul Pogba to sign a contract with them at the beginning of July after reaching a verbal agreement, according to the Guardian.

– Chelsea have begun talks with Inter over a loan return for striker Romelu Lukaku, but the 29-year-old will need to take a wage cut, the Telegraph reports.

– Manchester United are favourites to sign Porto midfielder Vitinha, says A Bola.

– Tottenham, Newcastle and Aston Villa are among the clubs interested in signing former Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale on a free transfer, the Sun reports.