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Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie is relishing a “great opportunity” to play alongside Paul Pogba after the former Manchester United man made his Bianconeri return.
Having spent six seasons at Old Trafford following a then-world record £89million (€105m) move in 2016, Pogba re-signed for the Turin giants on a free transfer earlier this month.
The 2018 World Cup winner has declared his move to be a return “home”, having won four consecutive league titles with Juventus between 2012 and 2016.
Pogba scored 28 league goals during his first spell with the Bianconeri, making him the third-highest French goalscorer in the club’s Serie A history after David Trezeguet (123) and Michel Platini (68).
The midfielder has also registered 22 Serie A assists, leaving McKennie excited by the prospect of playing alongside the creative 29-year-old.
“It’s a great opportunity,” he told GOAL. “He can play a lot of passes that a lot of people can’t play, and I feel like I make a lot of runs that a lot of people have to be able to play those passes to get it to me.
“To have someone of his calibre in the midfield, it’s definitely something that I’m looking forward to. But at the same time, for me, it’s as important on the field as off the field.
“His energy, his vibe, his personality, I can kind of relate to it in so many ways and I think it’s good for the players here and good for me.
“He knows how to let loose sometimes and joke around sometimes but also when it’s time to work, it’s time to work. It’s something that I can definitely feed off.”
Meanwhile, having made just 21 Serie A appearances for Juventus last season, McKennie was touted for a potential move away, with a number of Premier League clubs suggested as possible destinations.
But Massimiliano Allegri declared last week the club have no intention of selling the midfielder, and while McKennie admits he finds it difficult to ignore transfer speculation, he expressed gratitude for the his coach’s support.
“That’s one of the biggest things as an athlete and as a player, you want to be where you’re wanted, where you’re valued,” the United States international added.
“I’ve seen things that I didn’t even know about, that I see on the transfer rumours. It’s stuff that I’m like, ‘oh, wow. I’ve never heard of that’ and, obviously, it’s very hard to ignore.”
