Adrien Rabiot wants Paul Pogba to join him in Marseille when the former Juventus and Manchester United midfielder is able to sign for a new club in the January transfer window.
Pogba, who won the 2018 World Cup with France, will be eligible to play again from March 11 following a doping ban – and Rabiot knows the 31-year-old’s skills better than most after making 27 appearances with him for Les Bleus and Juve between 2016 and 2023.
“I know it’s a real issue,” 2022 World Cup winner Rabiot told DAZN after Marseille’s 2-0 win at Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1 on Sunday, via RMC.
“Of course I would like to play with Paul. We had a chance to play them at Juventus, where we didn’t have a chance to play much together because they had a lot of problems.
“I was a little disappointed. We invite him to come and play at the Marseille Olympics. What we implement is really very important.”
— Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) October 4, 2024
Paul Pogba’s next club: Marseille?
Manchester United academy product Pogba has not played club football in France since his youth team days with Roissy-en-Brees, Torcy and Le Havre, from which he joined the Red Devils in 2009.
Having joined Juventus in 2012, United made Pogba their record signing when they bought him from the Italian club for £89million in 2016, and he has returned to the Serie A side after his Old Trafford deal expires in 2022.
He was handed a four-year ban in February for a doping offence, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) reduced the sentence to 18 months, starting from his original September 2023 provisional ban, in a ruling on 4 October.
Speaking before mutually agreeing with Juventus to terminate his contract on November 30, Pogba said The Team that a link to Marseille – made by Patrice Evra, one of his former United and France team-mates – was not “credible” because it was already under contract.
“Of course, nobody knows what tomorrow holds, so never say never,” he added, expressing his relief at being allowed to return to football.
Adrien Rabiot’s first goal with Marseille was GOOD 💥 pic.twitter.com/uEHCXrbbB0
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) December 8, 2024
Rabiot: OM have ‘real ambition’
Sharpness may be an issue for Pogba after more than 18 months between his last competitive game and his potential return, although BBC Sport indicated that he may train with a club from January.
Second in France, Marseille have made an impressive start under new coach Roberto De Gerby and are five points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain after a third straight win.
“There’s a real dynamic (here) – it’s very professional, from the players to the coach and the management,” Rabiot said of playing for the nine-time French champions. “There is real ambition. If he wants to come, he is very happy.”
