• Paul Pogba's first stint at Juventus was marked by exceptional performances and numerous titles.

• He joined Juventus on a free transfer in 2012, leaving Manchester United on bad terms.

• Pogba's breakthrough season saw him win the 2013 Golden Boy award.

• Despite injury setbacks, Pogba contributed significantly to Juventus' domestic and European successes.

• Pogba returned to Manchester United in a record-breaking transfer but rejoined Juventus in 2022.

Football fans who have just been familiar with Paul Pogba must be seeing him as nothing more than an Overhyped player who can't even keep himself fit to play. The Frenchman's second stint at Juventus at United has been nothing short of a disaster, with the main issue being his recurring injury problems. Pogba's flashes of brilliance were seen at Manchester United, but he was never consistent with the Red Devils as well. There was a time however when Pogba was one of the best midfielders in the world, and even the legendary Zinedine Zidane wanted him at Real Madrid back then. Let us look at Paul Pogba's first stint at Juventus, which saw his rise as one of the most promising footballers in the world.

A free transfer to Juventus

Paul Pogba was signed as a free agent by Juventus on 3 August 2012. The player refused to sign a new contract at Manchester United prior to this, and left on bad terms with the club. Sir Alex Ferguson was unhappy with the player as well, and accused him of disrespecting the club.

Pogba made his debut for Juventus against Chievo on 22 September 2012, where he played the full 90 minutes. His first goal for the club came against Napoli on 20th October, as Juventus won that match 2-0. This was followed by yet another spectacular performance by the Frenchmen, as he scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Bologna. Pogba's first season with Juve ended with him earning his first Scudetto with the club.

Breakthrough season

The following season saw Pogba play a key role in Juve's 4–0 win over Lazio that saw them win the 2013 Italian Supercoppa. In December, Pogba was named 2013's Golden Boy for the best young player in Europe. His brilliant performances were finally getting the attention of the entire footballing world.

The following months saw the rise of Pogba at Juventus, as kept on giving brilliant performances in Serie A and the Europa League. It ended up being Pogba's breakthrough season at Juventus, as he became a regular of the starting line-up and made more appearances than any other Juventus player that season. Pogba's second season with Juventus ended with another league title, and the Bianconeri were able to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League as well.

Within touching distance of European glory

Pogba continued his magnificent performances for Juve under new coach Max Allegri, and went on to establish himself as one of the best players in the squad.  In 2014, Pogba received the Bravo Award, which was given to the best under-23 player who has participated in European competitions. Juventus were on a golden run at the time, enjoying a fine run of form in Serie A and the Champions League. Pogba was out injured for 2 months during this season, but returned back by May.

The Old Lady won their 4th consecutive league title that season, and were also winners of the 2015 Coppa Italia after a 2-1 victory over Lazio. Pogba's contributions were immense in all these achievements.

Juventus also reached the finals of the Champions League that year, as they overcame Real Madrid 3-2 on aggregate to win the tie. Pogba was yet again vital in this match. Unfortunately, Juventus went on to lose their first ever Champions League final in 12 years against Barcelona. Pogba started this match but couldn't influence his team to victory as Juve lost 3-1 to Barcelona.

The final season

Pogba continued his rise at Juventus, and he was a player that any top club in Europe would've loved to have at this time. His final season at Juve saw him take their legendary number-10 shirt, and he also excelled in a new creative position for the side. Paul Pogba's final season with Juventus saw them win yet another league title, Coppa Italia, and Supercoppa Italiana. He also finished that league season with 8 goals and a joint-top 12 assists along with Miralem Pjanić.

That was the end of arguably the most talented ever young midfielder Juventus have had in the modern era, as Pogba went on to join Manchester United in a then world-record £89.3 million. Several years later, he has yet again come back to Juventus as a free agent. He has returned to the club as a shadow of what he used to be during their first stint together, but hopefully the Frenchmen can get back to his best and provide even more glory for the Bianconeri.