Liverpool are already staring down the barrel of a shocking season. But Paul Pogba should be an unlikely source of transfer reassurance for owners FSG. The list of the top 20 most expensive football transfers of all time is a surprisingly hit-and-miss affair. Romelu Lukaku features on it twice, with both moves going down as major flops. Liverpool’s sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona sits in third place. But perhaps nobody surpasses Paul Pogba, whose move to Manchester United still ranks as one of the 10 most expensive deals in history — bookended by two separate free transfers to Juventus.

It’s a statistic that sums up the Frenchman’s rather curious career, one full of peaks and troughs. He has found himself the subject of ridicule and scorn on occasion, epitomised by his second release from Old Trafford in the summer. But he has also spent time as one of football’s hottest properties, as the eye-watering transfer record attests.

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Paul Pogba faces a race against time to be fit for the 2022 World Cup after it was confirmed he will return from injury just 10 days before the first ball is kicked in Qatar. The Frenchman joined Juventus for a second this summer after departing Manchester United but saw his sensational return ruined by an injury in pre-season. Pogba originally opted for a shorter and riskier treatment as he attempted to get substantial playing minutes under his belt in Italy but changed his mind after and underwent surgery last week.

The midfielder is being forced to undergo eight weeks of rehabilitation following surgery before he is able to return to first-team training in Turin, and may not return until Juventus travel to Verona on November 10, according to Get French Football News. The 29-year-old’s rest period would see him given the green light to return to training on October 31 but would need weeks to get up to competitive match fitness.

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Juventus have confirmed the signing of Angel Di Maria on a free transfer following his departure from PSG. The Argentina international left the French champions following the expiry of his contract in the summer. Di Maria racked up 295 appearances for PSG during his seven years at the club. The forward also chipped in with 92 goals across all competitions. While in Paris, the 34-year-old claimed five league titles, 13 domestic cups and also reached the 2019/20 Champions League final – one which ended in defeat against Bayern Munich.

Di Maria has now signed a one-year deal at Juventus as he looks to continue playing at the highest level ahead of November’s World Cup in Qatar. The player has already made 122 appearances for the national team and scored 25 goals in the process. Last year, the forward helped the team to their first major honour in 28 years as Argentina claimed the Copa America title. Di Maria previously enjoyed a spell in the Premier League and made 27 appearances for Manchester United during the 2014/15 season.

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