Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has reportedly confirmed his return to professional football after signing a two-year contract with AS Monaco. Pogba, aged 32, faced a ban from the sport following a failed drug test in September 2023 during a Serie A match between Juventus and Udinese.
In February 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) imposed a four-year ban on the Frenchman after he tested positive for DHEA, a substance prohibited by WADA that enhances testosterone levels. However, in October, the ban was reduced to 18 months after it was established that Pogba had used DHEA “inadvertently,” with the ruling noting that it “only has an effect on females,” as reported by the Daily Mail.
This decision enabled the midfielder to make his return in March 2025, and he has since been on the lookout for a new club. He has been associated with teams across Europe, the United States, and the Saudi Pro League. There were even rumours of a potential return to Old Trafford, given that Pogba initially came through United’s academy and later rejoined the club for a record fee of £89 million from Juventus in 2016.
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However, this high-profile transfer did not yield success for either the club or the player, as Pogba struggled to establish himself as the star player that his transfer fee warranted. Pogba departed United on a free transfer in the summer of 2022 when his contract expired, returning to Juventus—the same path he had taken as a 19-year-old in 2012, which allowed him to emerge as one of Europe’s premier midfielders in Turin.
Unfortunately, Pogba’s second tenure with the Old Lady did not replicate the same level of success, as a series of injuries limited his playing opportunities. During the match against Udinese the following year, which resulted in the adverse drug test, he was not even on the field, having remained on the bench for the entire game.
