Option for Barça? The former French star who will return to football in 2025

Paul Pogba will receive a reduction of more than 3 years of the sanction imposed by the Italian Anti-Doping Court last February after testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a muscle stimulant, in a Serie A match against Udinese played on August 20 2023. The measure lies in the footballer's appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sports (TAS), which reduced the sanction from 4 years to only 18 months.

According to information leaked by the English newspaper 'Daily Mail', the French midfielder will be eligible to play from March 2025, when in principle he would be out of football until 2028. The Juventus player contemplated retirement after the Anti-Doping Court of Italy will reject his appeal, but the CAS has ended up saving him. After the 'Daily Mail' information spread, the midfielder uploaded a photograph of his boots to Instagram, accompanied by a key emoticon: a clock.

 

 

 

 

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A publication shared of Paul Labile Pogba (@paulpogba)

Pogba could look for a new team in the summer of 2025

In this way, the 31-year-old midfielder could play the last two months of the season with the team led by Thiago Motta, as long as the coach decides to have him after his return. Pogba has a contract with Juve until 2026 and his departure from the 'Old Lady' next summer is not ruled out, pending what happens with the possible reduction of his sanction. If the CAS ruling is confirmed, the Frenchman will be able to return to training with the Juventus squad from January.

In that sense, the French international would be among the 'low cost' options available for Barça in the next summer market. Although injuries and extra-sporting problems cut short his brilliant career in the last two years, the one from Lagny-sur-Marne is still an interesting alternative for the pivot position if he manages to recover physically. Paul was on the culé radar between 2014 and 2016, but Manchester United went ahead with a record transfer for that date (105 million euros).

His performance with the Red Devils never lived up to expectations, but while there he won the World Cup with France in 2018, his best year as a professional. Later, the Barça team took him into account again between 2021 and 2022, until finally the player chose to return to Juventus after leaving Man U on a free transfer. In his first season back in Turin he barely played 10 games (161 minutes) due to physical problems.