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Paul Pogba has exclusively told Mail Sport (England) that he was open to joining Manchester City in 2022 — but felt he had no option but to leave the city for personal reasons.
In May 2022, the back page of the Daily Mail carried a story revealing Pep Guardiola’s interest in the France international — who was playing for Manchester United at the time — in what could have been one of the most explosive transfers in British football history.
Guardiola wanted to add a new versatile central midfielder to fill the void left by captain Fernandinho, who was leaving at the end of 2021-22 season. Pogba was a free agent that summer and City explored the possibility of signing the midfielder, despite his links to arch-rivals United.
In an exclusive interview with the 31-year-old midfielder in Paris on Wednesday, Pogba confirmed that he was aware of the interest from City at the time. But staying in Manchester wasn’t a realistic option.
In March 2022, Pogba was the victim of a burglary as intruders ransacked his house in Manchester while his children were asleep as the midfielder, accompanied by his wife Zulay, played in an evening game.
In addition, an extortion attempt — that is still under investigation — against him involving his brother Mathias and other friends and acquaintances rocked Pogba to the core.
And if circumstances were different, Pogba has admitted he may have chosen a different path.
“Honestly: I had a lot of problems,’ said Pogba. “I had the burglary, I had problem with the extortion. I had to leave Manchester. Let’s say it like this: if I didn’t have that (problems) maybe I would have been at City. But with an ‘if’ you can save the world because my head wasn’t about staying in Manchester. But it wasn’t a closed door because I left United for free.”
Pogba, who will return to competitive football in March after seeing his four-year doping ban 18 months after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled he did not intend to gain an advantage after testing positive for banned substance DHEA, is in talks over severing his current deal with Juventus.
“For now, I still have a contract with Juventus we are talking to them and we will see what happens,” Pogba added. “My main focus is to get back on the field and training. Be on the pitch with a ball with other players. I’ve been training on my own for a year. It’s lonely. I will be very happy to get back training.” (www.dailymail.co.uk)
Online Reporter