Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is expected to leave Juventus after a decision was made to terminate his contract, according to the latest reports. The 31-year-old has not played a competitive minute of first-team football since August 2023 after failing a doping test.
Pogba was subsequently handed a four-year ban that looked like it would end his professional playing career. However, after an appeal, the ban has since been reduced to 18 months, meaning Pogba is free to resume training in January and make his return to competitive action in March.
Last month, Pogba revealed that he is looking forward to playing for Juventus again, having made just 12 appearances for the club since returning from United in July 2022. Asked about his return to football and who he would like to play for, Pogba told ESPN: “I want to play for Juventus again.”
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Pogba even admitted that he would be willing to take a pay cut to stay at Juventus amid interest from across the globe. He said: “I’m ready to cut and to reduce my salary to stay at Juve. I will talk with Thiago Motta. I want to demonstrate to be a great player again.”
He later added: “Right now I’m with Juventus, so we don’t know really what’s going on. All the parties are talking, lawyers, etc. So I want to know what will happen next. But my main focus right now is just to get myself ready. I keep training and everything. Get ready for being able to join a team in January.”
But now, Juventus have made the decision to terminate his contract, meaning Pogba will become a free agent, according to Fabrizio Romano. He added that Pogba is training in Miami on a daily basis to be ready for his next club. At the moment, it does remain uncertain where Pogba will end up though a number of MLS clubs have been linked with the World Cup winner.
Pogba’s initial sample for DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) was taken on the first game of the 2023/24 season following a random test and the verdict was given in October 2023. Pogba has always denied “knowingly or deliberately taking any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations”.
If Pogba’s appeal to the CAS had become unsuccessful and he served his ban until 2027, he would have likely retired from football. “I had many thoughts in my head,” he admitted. “I had so many thoughts to even stop playing.
“I’m like: ‘What am I going to do?’ If it’s four years, you start making the maths in your head. Four years not playing, training — which club is going to want me?
“Would I be fit and stuff like that, you make a lot of pictures in your head. But on the other side, I had faith obviously, and I was positive. I knew I didn’t do anything wrong on purpose, so then thankfully that happened and they reduced it.”
The former Reds midfielder has not ruled out a possible return to France, speaking to L’Équipe he brushed off suggestions from Patrice Evra about a move to Ligue 1. Pogba said: “It wasn’t something that I thought about when I was suspended.
“I am at a club so I have just been thinking about coming back so far, about getting out of this situation. Playing in France? Why not? You don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Why not play in Ligue 1, I wouldn’t be obliged to say no.”
