Paul Pogba, the mercurial midfielder and World Cup winner, is on the verge of sealing a dramatic return to French football with AS Monaco, following the reduction of his doping ban from four years to 18 months.
Now 32, Pogba has been without a club since mutually terminating his contract with Juventus in November 2024. The Frenchman was provisionally suspended in August 2023 after testing positive for the banned substance DHEA, a steroid that increases testosterone levels. But following a lengthy appeal process, the Court of Arbitration for Sport concluded in October 2024 that Pogba had inadvertently taken the substance. They further clarified that DHEA only provides performance benefits in females, allowing a significant reduction in the ban.
This ruling cleared Pogba to return to football as early as March 2025, and it now appears Monaco are set to offer him a lifeline back into the game. Sources close to the situation confirm that negotiations between the player’s representatives and the Ligue 1 outfit are in the final stages, with a two-year contract reportedly on the table.
The proposed move would mark a homecoming of sorts for Pogba, who has not played club football in France since leaving Le Havre’s youth academy for Manchester United in 2009. A move to Monaco would also allow him to rebuild his career in a familiar environment, away from the intense spotlight of Manchester or Turin.
Paul Pogba’s movement
Pogba, who rejoined Juventus from Manchester United in 2022 on a free transfer, endured a turbulent second spell in Italy. Injuries plagued his return, and just when he appeared close to a comeback, the positive doping test following Juve’s opening Serie A match of the 2023/24 campaign against Udinese derailed his season and career trajectory.
During the subsequent investigation and appeals process, Pogba maintained that he did not knowingly ingest the banned substance. The court accepted this explanation and ruled the doping offence as unintentional. This legal nuance spared the Frenchman from a career-ending suspension and paved the way for his return.
AS Monaco, who finished fourth in Ligue 1 last season and narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification, are believed to see Pogba as a valuable addition, both for his experience and his potential to uplift the squad. Monaco manager Adi Hütter has reportedly approved the deal, seeing Pogba as a possible leader in the dressing room and a key figure in their domestic and European ambitions.
The player himself has been privately training over the last several months in preparation for a comeback. Footage of Pogba working with personal trainers and engaging in fitness drills has surfaced online, sparking speculation about where he might land next. Monaco, with their reputation for revitalising careers and developing talent, appears to be a logical and strategic choice.
While some doubts remain over Pogba’s match fitness and durability, particularly given his injury record, few question his technical quality or his ability to dictate play when in form. If he can stay healthy and focused, Monaco may have pulled off one of the shrewdest deals of the summer.
Pogba’s prospective return would also be a boost for French football in general. A player of his global stature re-entering Ligue 1 would add star power to a league often overshadowed by the Premier League and La Liga.
As talks near completion, all signs point to Paul Pogba donning the red and white of Monaco in the upcoming season — a new chapter in a storied but turbulent career that may yet have more to offer.
