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Paul Pogba Joins Monaco on Two-Year Deal in Bid to Revive Career

paul pogba

French midfielder Paul Pogba has joined Monaco on a two-year contract in an effort to revive a once-brilliant career that has been derailed by injuries and a doping ban.

Monaco confirmed the much-anticipated move on their website on Saturday, accompanied by a video posted on X showing Pogba, now 32, wearing the club's red and white jersey. In the post, Pogba appeared to be in tears visibly emotional about returning to the world of football.

This will mark the former Juventus and Manchester United star’s first appearance in France’s top league, despite his internationally renowned status.

Pogba honed his skills at the Le Havre academy in France but signed with Manchester United at the age of 16 in 2009, and has remained in European football ever since.

In 2016, Pogba became the world’s most expensive footballer when he rejoined Manchester United from Juventus for a then-record transfer fee of €105 million.

Since then, however, Pogba has gone from being one of the world’s best midfielders to a player often in the spotlight for off-field issues. After a disappointing few years at United where he scored just 39 goals in 226 appearances across two stints he returned to Juventus on a free transfer in 2022. But injuries limited him to just 12 appearances for the club.

In 2023, Pogba tested positive for testosterone and was handed a maximum four-year ban by the Italian anti-doping court.

However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) later reduced the suspension to 18 months, recognizing that the infraction was unintentional and that the positive result stemmed from doctor-prescribed supplements.

The ruling means the World Cup-winning Frenchman will be free to resume his career in March 2025. However, Juventus was not interested in bringing him back, and the two parties eventually reached a "mutual agreement" to terminate his contract last year.#

paul pogba

Monaco finished third in Ligue 1 last season, and with the signing of Pogba who has made 91 appearances for the French national team they hope to challenge for the title next season and make a strong push in the Champions League, with the playoff round as their first target.