Paul Pogba, 2018 World Cup champion with France and former star for both Juventus and Manchester United, is reportedly on the verge of signing with AS Monaco. According to L’Équipe, the 32-year-old midfielder, who has been without a club since his contract with Juventus was terminated in March, is set to ink a two-year deal with the club from the Principality. The move would mark a significant step in his attempt to return to the UEFA Champions League and rejoin the French national team.

Test positive for testosterone after injury woes

Once considered one of the world’s top midfielders, Pogba has endured a tough stretch since 2022. A knee injury kept him out of the Qatar World Cup, and his struggles continued through 2023. On September 3, 2023, he played his last official match—a 2–0 win for Juventus over Empoli—before being suspended for testing positive for testosterone.

Initially handed a four-year suspension by Italian authorities, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) later reduced the ban to 18 months, allowing Pogba to become eligible again in March 2025.

Throughout the process, the player has maintained his innocence, explaining that the positive test stemmed from a supplement prescribed by a doctor in Florida, which he claims he took unknowingly.

Personal issues compounded his absence

The doping saga wasn’t the only challenge in Pogba’s recent past. In 2022, he was reportedly the victim of extortion and a kidnapping plot involving close friends and his own brother, Mathias Pogba. The high-profile case concluded in Paris in late 2024, with Mathias receiving a one-year suspended prison sentence and five other individuals receiving between four and eight years in prison.

Now, with his suspension officially over and the legal issues behind him, Paul Pogba is ready to make a comeback. His potential move to AS Monaco offers a chance to return to top-level competition, prove his doubters wrong, and potentially reclaim a spot in Didier Deschamps’ squad ahead of future international tournaments.