French midfielder Paul Pogba is set to return to Manchester United for a third time, however, this time just to keep fit whilst searching for a new club following his Juventus exit.
Pogba and Juventus parted ways earlier this week after a difficult spell in his career. He was handed a four year ban after a doping investigation but has since had this reduced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, allowing him to return to football in March 2025.
The Frenchman will now become a free agent allowing him to link up with a new side. In a bid to stay fit he has reportedly been allowed to train at Manchester United’s Carrington training facility according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri.
The Red Devils and Paul Pogba have a long standing relationship, after coming through the academy, only to leave for Juventus in 2012. He then returned to Old Trafford in an £89.3million move the then record transfer fee for a player.
In 2022, at the end of his contract he returned to the Italian giants. His second spell at Juventus has not gone well, with persistent injury issues made worse by his run in with the authorities. He now leaves the club early, with his contract not due to expire until 2026.
Pogba and Manchester United
Despite the once world record signing returning to Manchester United, it’s highly unlikely we will see him don the red shirt once again. Not only is the club now managed by a recruitment staff who are keen to not repeat the previous mistakes of the last ten years, but also new boss Ruben Amorim requires a level of fitness and intensity that would not suit Pogbas’s more slow, powerful style.
It is unknown where he will end up after his ban. There is no doubting his quality, but his injury record and fitness coupled with the cost of the wages he is likely to demand, could be too big a risk to take for any elite club.
And would Paul Pogba be happy signing for a side perhaps competing at a slightly lower section of the table? Doubtful.