Manager confirms “talks” with ex-Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba as search for new club continues

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is currently looking for a new club after his doping ban ended earlier this month.

Paul Pogba was banned from football for 18 months after being found to have elevated levels of testosterone in his system when at Juventus in August 2023.

The French midfielder departed Manchester United in the summer of 2022 to re-join the Italian outfit but failed to impress for them, with injuries defining his second spell there until the ban was announced.

An initial four-year ban was reduced to 18 months following acceptance from the Court of Arbitration for Sport that the Juventus midfielder’s argument that his ingestion of a banned substance “was not intentional”.

That ban finally ended on 11 March and Pogba has since departed Juventus, leading to rumours flying around about a potential return to Old Trafford, however, they seem to have little substance behind them.

Pogba aiming for France return ahead of 2026 World Cup

One of Pogba’s main priorities, according to multiple reports, is to make a return to the France national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

When Pogba won football’s most prestigious competition back in 2018, he became only the fourth player to win the competition while also playing for United – Lisandro Martínez has since made that five – and is the only one to score in the final.

The central midfielder must return to the top level in order to convince France boss Didier Deschamps that he is ready to return to the international stage.

Some reports have suggested that Pogba will wait until the summer to find a new club in one of Europe’s top five leagues, with various clubs already interested in signing the 32-year-old.

France boss Deschamps confirms Pogba talks

France boss Deschamps has explained that he is in touch with the ex-United midfielder and suggested that a return to the national team is not unrealistic.

“He’s supposed to be able to play again, but he doesn’t have a club. We’re talking, and I won’t tell you the details,” he told reporters this week.

“Yes, he has the ability and the mentality to return to the highest level. It won’t happen overnight, but for the moment, he hasn’t made a decision. We’ll see.”

Read More: Ruben Amorim makes clear Manchester United free agent claim amid Paul Pogba return links

The 2026 World Cup will be played in the United States, with the final set to be played at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (GMT) on the United View YouTube channel.