Paul Pogba In Talks For Emphatic Return

Paul Pogba is set for a shock return to football almost two years since he last played a competitive match.

The 2018 World Cup winner has had a glittering career across two spells at both Manchester United and Juventus, in which he won significant honours such as the Europa League, FA Cup and Serie A.

Formerly the most expensive footballer of the world following an £89m move to the Red Devils in 2016, he shined on his return and was one of the league's best performers until a spat with manager Jose Mourinho disrupted his form.

He is Manchester United's new number 6...

Paul Pogba has rejoined for a world record £89mhttps://t.co/LZbly8wpNE pic.twitter.com/ChXeV4EN3f

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 9, 2016

Having never fully recovered, he eventually left the club as a free agent in 2022 and moved back to the Bianconeri, where a controversy in his second season left him banned from the game and saw his contract terminated.

Ban From Football

Following a random doping test after Juventus' win against Udinese in August 2023, the Frenchman was found with elevated levels of testosterone in his system, which was later confirmed with a second sample.

The increase in these levels from non-endogenous testosterone metabolites - substances not naturally produced by the body - are banned due to its enhanced endurance effects, and resulted in a four-year suspension from football.

🚨 BREAKING: Paul Pogba has been banned from football for 4 years due to doping pic.twitter.com/cYlrIbRuG3

— 433 (@433) February 29, 2024

However, Pogba always maintained he didn't knowingly taking any performance enhancing drug and, following a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the ban was reduced to 18 months as the substance was found to have no affect on the performance of male athletes.

This meant he was now out of match action until March 2025, a period which has since passed and so he can officially return to the pitch.

Subsequent Return

Now at 32 years old, it really is now or never for the midfielder if he is to continue playing in Europe's top leagues.

There's certainly no doubting the player's ability - tall, strong and skillfull with a killer pass in his locker - but after such time away from the game and with his athleticism naturally on the decline, it is yet to be seen how much of an impact Pogba can still have.

Paul Pogba - Dribbling, Passing & Skills pic.twitter.com/U5sUKQkVCw

— 🍿🎭 (@GENER4L1ST) October 14, 2024

Footballers such as Adrian Mutu, Sandro Tonali and Rio Ferdinand have all faced bans in the past; Pogba will certainly hope he returns to action like the latter names did rather than the former.

Which Clubs Are Interested?

As of today, AS Monaco in Ligue 1 are the major frontrunners for the free agent.

The club finished third in their division and as such will compete in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League, a competition that the Frenchman has never won after he lost the 2015 final to Barcelona.

According to multiple reports, the Monegasque outfit have offered him a two-year contract and are pushing for personal terms to be agreed.

🚨🔴⚪️ AS Monaco have offered a two year contract to Paul Pogba with talks underway.

Negotiations and discussions over project continue this weekend to try reach an agreement.

Monaco are working on both Ansu Fati and Paul Pogba deals. pic.twitter.com/GbDvSzDrJV

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 13, 2025

However, if the deal fails to materialise, perhaps older rumours linking him to the likes of Marseille and LAFC could resurface.

Marseille finished second in Ligue 1, and with midfielder Valentin Rongier linked with a move away following him being stripped of captaincy by Roberto de Zerbi last summer, Pogba on a free contract could be the perfect replacement for their midfield.

Or perhaps a move to the MLS could be on the cards, should the player feel that he can't compete in Europe's elite club competition or that he no longer has the desire to do so and instead favours a move to the States for a final pay check whilst enjoying the lifestyle that Los Angeles has to offer.

One thing for sure though is that a move to LAFC would still not see him play at the FIFA Club World Cup, given that the special transfer deadline passed earlier this week and team registrations have already been made.