Paul Pogba Urged to Make Stunning Premier League Return as Doping Ban Reduced

Paul Pogba has been urged to make a dramatic return to the Premier League and sign with one of Manchester United’s biggest rivals.

The 31-year-old French midfielder is eager to get his career back on track after his four-year ban for doping offenses was reduced to 18 months following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Pogba will be eligible to resume training in January 2025 and can return to competitive play in March.

He returned to Juventus in the summer of 2022 after a six-year stint at Manchester United but has managed to make only 12 appearances since moving back to Turin.

It remains unclear whether Juventus will reintegrate Pogba into their first-team squad or look to offload him.

However, former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna is advocating for Pogba’s return to the English top flight. Despite Pogba’s struggles during his six years at Old Trafford, Sagna believes he still has much to offer and would be an ideal addition for Arsenal.

“The Premier League suits Paul Pogba—I would love to see him join Arsenal,” Sagna stated. “He has experience; he loves to play with young players around him—that is when he is most efficient. At the 2018 World Cup, that was when he was most efficient—he had friends around him.”

Sagna highlighted Arsenal’s young and dynamic squad under manager Mikel Arteta, noting, “Arsenal have a young, fresh team, and I see him performing in an Arsenal shirt.

He will get love from their fans. Now, he can start from scratch again—he’s had time away from football, and he’ll be back with a desire to get back into a good space and play football again.”

Pogba made headlines in 2016 when Manchester United re-signed him for £89 million, making him the most expensive signing in history. However, he struggled to consistently deliver his best performances at the club.

Speculations about moves to MLS or Saudi Arabia have emerged, but Pogba aims to regain his place in the France national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Following the reduction of his doping ban, Pogba expressed relief in a statement, saying, “Finally, the nightmare is over. I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again.” He reiterated that he never knowingly breached World Anti-Doping Agency regulations, claiming that the nutritional supplement he took was prescribed by a doctor and did not enhance performance.

“I play with integrity and, although I must accept that this is a strict liability offense, I want to place on record my thanks to the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s judges who heard my explanation,” Pogba added. “This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold.”