Five clubs that could sign Paul Pogba after his ban | OneFootball

Paul Pogba is set to return to football in March after the midfielder’s ban for failing a doping test was reduced on appeal.

Pogba’s initial four-year ban from football was reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, freeing the Frenchman to return to football in the new year.

Though contracted to Juventus, reports have suggested the Italian side are in negotiations over a mutual termination, having decided the 31-year-old does not feature in their plans. Despite his extended absence from the game, a player of Pogba’s quality will be highly sought-after as a free agent.

We’ve looked at five potential destinations for Paul Pogba.

Five clubs that could sign Paul Pogba

Real Madrid

Pogba has previously flirted with Real Madrid and while that ship appeared to have sailed, the circumstances around his availability and a void in Carlo Ancelotti’s midfield could open up a deal.

Toni Kroos called time on his career in the summer, while Luka Modric turned 39 last month in what looks likely to be his final season with Los Blancos. Pogba has a creative quality that has lacked in the Madrid midfield this season while he could unite with international teammates Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, Ferland Mendy and Kylian Mbappe in the Spanish capital.

The deal would represent a gamble and deviate from a modern policy of recruiting emerging superstars, but it might be one that is tempting to take for Los Blancos.

Al-Ittihad

The Saudi Pro League has emerged as a go-to destination for top talent with the lucrative deals on offer in the Middle East having persuaded high-profile players to embark on the challenge.

Al-Ittihad have gone Gallic in their search for success, appointing ex-France manager Laurent Blanc as their head coach and signing Les Bleus’ internationals Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Moussa Diaby in recent transfer windows. A huge pay packet and a healthy contingent of compatriots could lead to a Saudi switch.

Los Angeles FC

MLS could be an avenue to explore for Pogba, away from the scrutiny that has often followed his club career.

Los Angeles would provide a comparatively anonymous existence for Pogba, with LAFC and LA Galaxy potential options. The former have signed former France teammates Hugo Lloris and Olivier Giroud of late, a pair who won the World Cup alongside Pogba in 2018.

Marseille

Pogba was pressed on the prospect of playing his football in France this week after former teammate Patrice Evra implored Marseille to sign the midfielder.

“Marseille? I’m chuckling because Uncle Pat (Evra) said it in jest, you know how he is! I’m still under contract (at Juventus), so it’s not really credible. We can never be sure about tomorrow; who knows? Maybe I could play in Ligue 1 someday,” he said.

Pogba has never previously played in Ligue 1, having moved to Manchester United from Le Havre as a teenager.

Toppling Paris Saint-Germain’s dominance of the division would be a tough task, but Pogba would inject quality into a midfield bolstered by Adrien Rabiot’s own arrival from Juventus this summer.

Inter Milan

Inter Milan have replaced fierce rivals Juventus as the kings of the Bosman transfers in recent seasons.

Andre Onana, Stefan de Vrij, Hakan Calhanoglu, Marcus Thuram, Mehdi Taremi and Piotr Zieliński have all moved to the Nerazzurri without the need for a transfer fee.

If there’s a high-profile free agent on the market, Inter are sure to be sniffing around.

Read – Pogba reveals he snubbed Manchester City transfer

See more – Juventus set to ignore Pogba pleas on future

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