Emmanuel Petit challenges ‘gutless’ Arsenal to sign Paul Pogba

Emmanuel Petit has challenged Arsenal to show they have ‘guts’ and take a gamble on signing Paul Pogba.

The 31-year-old’s career has stagnated over the course of the last two years with an injury compounded by the lenghty ban he received for doping offences was which was reduced to 18 months following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Having left Manchester United in the summer of 2022 following a turbulent six-year spell at Old Trafford, Pogba rejoined Juventus but has made just 12 appearances for the Turin giants.

Whether Pogba is handed a lifeline by Juventus remains to be seen, but either way he will be free to resume training from January and be clear to play again come March.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have struggled to find balance in their midfield this season, particularly in the absence of skipper Martin Odegaard, and Petit believes Pogba could offer a risk-free solution.

‘I did mention that Paul Pogba would be a good option for Arsenal, but it’s a gamble,’ the former Arsenal star told Instant Casino. ‘It’s a coin toss.

‘The last game he played was last September, 14 months ago. He cannot prepare himself with his teammates because he’s not allowed to do so. He has to train by himself every single day with a physio. It’s not the same.

‘You’re missing the game, you’re missing the movement, you’re missing the tactics. It will take months to get the best out of Paul Pogba.

‘It’s a gamble and on top of it he’s 32 years-old but you can argue that mentally he will come back strongly.

‘He wants to prove that he’s not finished yet. What happened to him for the last 2-3 seasons was a nightmare outside the pitch.’

Petit added: ‘At 32 years old, what’s the club’s risk in taking him? He won’t get a lot of money because of what happened in the last two or three seasons.

‘He will probably get a decent contract, but with a clause saying that if he can reach a certain amount of games, he can get a raise.

‘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. 

‘I’m pretty sure that some French clubs will be very interested in him.’