Paul Pogba on the hunt for new club following reduced doping ban

Paul is reportedly set to terminate his contract with Juventus following a reduction of his drug ban from four years to just 18 months, in a bid for a 'fresh start'.

Pogba, 31, tested positive for banned substance DHEA — which naturally boosts testosterone production — in August 2023, as reported by The Sun.  The former Manchester United star claimed he took it by accident.

But the Anti-Doping Prosecutor’s Office dismissed Pogba’s pleas and handed him a four-year ban in February — likely ending the French World Cup winner’s playing career.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

In a fortunate turn of events for the embattled midfielder, that ban was reduced to just 18 months after winning his case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

This means Pogba will be available to play again from March 2025, while he can train with his club from January.

But it appears that will not be at Juventus, with Fabrizio Romano claiming all parties are now close to agreeing a deal that will see Pogba terminate his Turin contract, Sky Sports reports.

Following his initial ban, Pogba requested a secondary test to be done on the positive sample, unfortunately for the former Manchester United midfielder, this test also came back positive, per Sky Sports.

The midfielder played just twice at the start of the 2023/24 campaign, after rejoining from United.

New Juve boss Thiago Motta has since taken his squad in a fresh direction and appears to have little interest in the Frenchman. Speaking before the 1-1 draw with Cagliari, Motta said: "The club will decide what to do with Pogba."

"For me, he was a great player, he hasn’t played for a long time," Motta said, hinting at his lack of interest in the World Cup winner.

Pogba himself is said to agree that a new start is the best course of action and will start looking for a club once he becomes a free agent, The Sun have reported.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!