I turned down Pep Guardiola and Man City, claims Man Utd's record signing

Paul Pogba has revealed he turned down Pep Guardiola and the chance to sign for Manchester City after he left rivals Manchester United.

The midfielder departed Old Trafford in 2022, six years after his record-breaking return from Juventus, in a transfer that cost United £89m. But the move didn’t quite work out as planned, and Pogba left for free following a final campaign that saw him start just 16 Premier League games and was booed by his own supporters.

There’s never been any doubting Pogba’s talent, even if questions have been raised about his application and commitment. The Frenchman showed plenty of glimpses of his skill at United and, of course, played a pivotal role in France's 2018 World Cup glory.

Clearly one man he impressed was Guardiola, who Pogba claims tried to sign him before he returned to Juventus in 2022. Speaking in a recent interview with Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, the 31-year-old revealed he ‘said no’ to the serial trophy winner on the other side of Manchester.

Reports at the time indicated Pogba turned down the opportunity and he worries about the backlash from United supporters.

Speaking in his recent interview, Pogba also said he hopes to continue playing for Juve and even return to the French national team, following the decision to reduce his drugs ban from four years to 18 months. “I'm willing to give up even some money just to play for Juve again. I want to come back,” he told Gazzetta.

Pogba is free to play again in March after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled he did not intentionally seek an advantage by taking banned substance DHEA. The midfielder tested positive in September 2023 - the last time he played a competitive match - and was handed his four-year ban in February this year.