Valentin Rongier is the latest Olympique Marseille player to call for his club to sign former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.
Pogba is currently a free agent after leaving Juventus in November, and has been strongly linked with a move to Marseille.
And Rongier, as per Foot Mercato, has fuelled speculation that the 31-year-old will join him at the Orange Vélodrome. He said: “We know Pogba’s quality and if he signs for OM one day, it would be a good thing.”
Rongier, who has featured nine times for Marseille this season, is not the first player from Roberto de Zerbi’s squad to speak positively about the World Cup winner signing for the Phocaeans.
One-time United target Adrien Rabiot, who joined Marseille in September, opened up on the subject after his side’s 2-0 victory against St Etienne last week.
As per Foot Mercato, he told reporters: “I would like to play with Paul, we had the opportunity to rub shoulders at Juve but we didn’t play together much because he had physical problems.”
He continued: “We greatly invite him to come to Marseille, what we are putting in place is very big, there is ambition with the coach, the management.”
For his part, Pogba dropped a huge hint that his future is almost decided on his Instagram page on Friday with a string of cryptic emojis – a timer, a zipped mouth and a winking face.
Earlier this year Pogba’s four-year doping ban was reduced to 18 months, meaning he can resume training in January 2025, and can play matches again in March.
Ever since this news broke, rumours have been swirling about where the midfielder will pick up his career.
The player was said to be in talks to train with the United squad at Carrington, but these claims were shut down last month with the Frenchman instead building up his fitness in Miami.
After leaving United for free in 2012 as a hot prospect, Pogba dazzled at Juventus where he established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world.
His performances were good enough for United to splash out a record breaking £89m to bring him back to Old Trafford.
Pogba’s second stint at the club showed glimpses of his quality, but often he flattered to deceive. In 226 appearances, he scored 39 goals and registered 48 assists, before departing once again to Juventus on a free transfer.
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
