Arsenal transfer news: Gunners told to ignore Paul Pogba and forget challenge to 'show guts'
Arsenal are among those being linked with a move for Paul Pogba, who has seen his contract with Juventus ripped up, but there are differing verdicts on the Frenchman
by Samuel Meade · The MirrorPaul Pogba will find it tough to return to the Premier League claims William Gallas - who has urged Arsenal against signing the Frenchman.
The ex-Manchester United midfielder is due to return to football next year when his doping ban comes to an end. Pogba has seen his contract with Juventus terminated and he will soon be on the lookout for a new club.
Arsenal are among those linked with the World Cup winner, who was tipped to scale huge heights during his first stint with Juventus. That convinced those at Old Trafford to spend a club-record fee to land the midfielder, who went on to underwhelm during his time with the club.
Pogba has often shown glimpses of his quality without ever delivering consistently and, now into his 30s, Gallas believes Arsenal should steer clear of Pogba as he questioned his ability to stay fit.
He told Genting Casino : "Can Paul Pogba go back to the Premier League? I don't think so, because the Premier League is very intense. We know Pogba can't play for a very long time. He will show desire to play and probably train very hard, but it's tough for him to play a lot of games in the Premier League for a whole season. Clubs like Arsenal will think twice before signing Pogba. If you buy Pogba, there's a guarantee that he won't last the whole season without an injury, especially at 31 years old."
Pogba himself has recent backed himself to return to the level that has seen him win individual accolades. He was unable to make a positive impact at Juventus in his second spell but his ability means several have backed him to come good.
Emmanuel Petit, a double winner at Arsenal in the 1990s, believes he would be the ideal signing but has cast doubt over whether the Gunners would be brave enough to pursue his signature.
He told Instant Casino : "I'm not sure big clubs like Arsenal actually have the guts to sign a player like Pogba. Remember what happened with some top players that join Arsenal, most of them have been a failure.
"I'm not sure as well that signing Paul Pogba fits with the philosophy of Arsenal actually, especially after Edu walked out. It's a gamble, but I'm not sure that Arsenal will take it. It's a gamble, but I'm not sure that Arsenal will take it. I'm pretty sure that some French clubs will be very interested in him."
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