Paul Pogba’s contract with Manchester United finally expired this summer, after years of a potential departure being rumoured.
Six years after the Red Devils paid a staggering price for a midfielder they saw leave for free as a teenager, the Frenchman will now make a dramatic return to Juventus once again.
Pogba’s transfer to and from Manchester United will go down as one of the biggest disasters, but it certainly isn’t the only one.
On numerous occasions, clubs have made the mistake of selling their players for next to nothing before they regret their decision when they become much better than expected.
The clubs have to put their pride aside and snap up their former player on a much more expensive transfer fee than what they sold them for - and sometimes it works out, while sometimes it doesn’t at all.
Here are seven footballers that re-joined their former clubs for higher fees than what they were sold for.
1. Graeme Le Saux - Chelsea
Le Saux joined Chelsea’s academy in 1987 and spent six years with the club before he was sold to Blackburn Rovers for £700k. After winning the Premier League with Rovers, the Blues brought Le Saux back to Stamford Bridge for £5 million in 1997.
2. Jermain Defoe - Tottenham
Defoe joined Tottenham for £6m in 2004, before making a minor profit on the striker when they sold him to Portsmouth four years later. However, after impressing at Pompey with 18 goals in 36 matches, Spurs paid £15.75m only a year later to bring Defoe back to White Hart Lane.
3. Marco Reus - Borussia Dortmund
Marco Reus began his youth career in Borussia Dortmund’s academy before he left for free after ten years. After success with Borussia Monchengladbach, the winger rejoined Dortmund for £15m - six years after he left. However, the eight-figure sum certainly paid off, with Reus becoming a Dortmund legend over the past ten years.
4. Peter Crouch - Tottenham
Five years after joining Tottenham’s academy, Peter Crouch was sold to QPR for around £60k after failing to make an appearance under George Graham. After successful spells with the likes of Portsmouth, Southampton and Liverpool, Tottenham bought Crouch back for £10 million in 2009. The striker went onto score 24 goals in 93 appearances for the North London club.