Blaise Matuidi on Paul Pogba: 'All Great Players Are Welcome at Juventus'

Juventus midfielder Blaise Matuidi has opened the door for a Paul Pogba return to Turin, saying "all great players are welcome" at the club.

Matuidi spoke to La Stampa (h/t Football Italia) and was asked about the speculation regarding the Manchester United man: "All great players are welcome here: I wish him the best and hope he makes the right decision. Only he knows his situation and knows how good he really is."

He also backed manager Massimiliano Allegri, amid reports his future is set to be decided later this week, per Football Italia: "Allegri's done a great job here and I hope he stays: He's shown great quality and he's a great coach."

Pogba played for Juventus between 2012 and 2016, developing into one of the world's best midfielders in the iconic black-and-white kit.

The France international returned to Manchester for a then-record transfer fee, becoming the face of the new Red Devils. Things haven't worked out at Old Trafford for the 26-year-old, however, leading to renewed transfer speculation.

Former United and Juventus man Patrice Evra told Sky Sports he believes Pogba will leave the club, and the Manchester Evening News' Samuel Luckhurst is convinced he no longer wants to play for the Old Trafford side:

Pundit Liam Rosenior questioned his leadership abilities:

Pogba had a solid season as far as statistics are concerned, with 13 goals and nine assists in the Premier League. But as the face of and most high-profile player at the club, he was always likely to be singled out as a big reason for their struggles, and United's poor end to the season has only made things worse.

The Red Devils were winless in their last six matches across all competitions, losing four. Their final outing was a 2-0 loss at home to Cardiff City, who were already certain of relegation.

While Pogba's future at Old Trafford is in question, Juventus are in desperate need of an upgrade in midfield. A lack of energy and movement hurt them all season, as the group of Matuidi, Miralem Pjanic, Sami Khedira, Emre Can and Rodrigo Bentancur fell short of the expectations.

Former Bianconeri midfielder Andrea Pirlo has called on the club to sign a midfielder like Real Madrid's Isco:

Aaron Ramsey's arrival from Arsenal will hand them a big boost, but a return for Pogba could turn Juventus' midfield from a weakness into a strength.

The Frenchman has paired well with Matuidi for the national team, and he played some of his best football in Turin because he wasn't tasked with being the main man at the club.

With the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Giorgio Chiellini and Pjanic taking the pressure off Pogba, he could return to being the admired all-action midfielder he became during his first stint at the Allianz Stadium.