Adrien Rabiot wants Paul Pogba to join him at Marseille when the former Juventus and Manchester United midfielder is allowed to sign for a new club during 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 qualities better than most after making 27 appearances alongside him for Les Bleus and Juve between 2016 and 2023.
“I know it’s a real subject,” 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 the opportunity to rub shoulders at Juventus, where we didn’t have the opportunity to play together much because he had a lot of problems.
“I was a little disappointed. We greatly invite him to come and play at Olympique de Marseille. What we are putting in place is really very important.”
⌛️ pic.twitter.com/yx3FKbTfB2
— Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) October 4, 2024
Paul Pogba next club: Marseille?
Manchester United academy product Pogba has not played club football in France since his youth-team days with Roissy-en-Brie, Torcy and Le Havre, from whom 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 £89 million in 2016, and he returned to the Serie A side following the expiry of his deal at Old Trafford in 2022.
He was given a four-year ban in February for a doping offence, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) reduced the punishment to 18 months, starting from his initial provisional ban in September 2023, in a decision on October 4.
Speaking before he mutually agreed with Juventus to terminate his contract on November 30, Pogba told L’Equipe that a link to Marseille – made by Patrice Evra, one of his former United and France teammates – was “not credible” because he was already under contract.
“Of course, nobody knows what tomorrow holds, so never say never,” he added, voicing his relief at bring allowed to return to football.
Adrien Rabiot’s first goal with Marseille was a GOOD one 💥 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 match and his potential return, although BBC Sport has reported that he can train with a club from January.
Second in France, Marseille have made an impressive start under new manager Roberto De Zerbi and are five points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain after a third consecutive win.
“There is a real dynamic [here] – it is 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, it is with great pleasure.”
