Juventus icon Alessio Tacchinardi has tipped Paul Pogba to become one of the all-time greats of the game and believes it’s ‘absurd’ that Manchester United allowed him to leave for nothing.
Former Juventus midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi has likened the club’s star man Paul Pogba to Zinedine Zidane, and has ridiculed Manchester United for letting him leave for nothing.
Pogba, 21, has established himself as one of the top performers in Europe since his controversial free transfer from United to Juve in the summer of 2012, helping the club to back-to-back Serie A titles, while scoring 12 goals in 63 games in the process.
Tacchinardi, who won 17 trophies during his 11 seasons at the club, believes the Frenchman has game-changing abilities which few others possess, and maintains he is well on course to emulating his compatriot Zidane and fellow legends such as Alessandro Del Piero.
‘Pogba is a pure diamond,’ he told Corriere dello Sport. ‘He has grown up to become a devastating player. Ever since his first Juve game, I thought he was an extraordinary player.
‘He has the ability to make the very complex appear so simple, dissolving tricky situations. Before watching Pogba, I had only observed four people with whom I had played like that: Juan Roman Riquelme at Villarreal, Zinedine Zidane and Alessandro Del Piero at Juventus, and Francesco Totti for Italy.
‘There are some midfielders who define an era. This will be the age of Pogba, he is the prototype central midfielder that any coach would want as he can play offensively or defensively.’
Tacchinardi went on to describe his amazement at how United could allow such a talented prospect to escape from their clutches, while adding what a coup it was for Juve to hold onto him this summer, despite reported interest from the likes of Chelsea and his former side.
‘It’s absurd,’ he said. ‘Certain talents are just innate. Congratulations to Juve chief Giuseppe Marotta who bagged him on a free transfer.
‘He would have exploded anywhere but the environment at Juve certainly helped.
‘Keeping him this summer was a miracle, but keeping him for a long time would be an even bigger miracle.
‘Juventus are perfect for him, but some clubs in Europe can offer absurd wages. I think someone like Paul Pogba is worth at least €80 million, but whoever signs him has their midfield sorted for a decade or more.’
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