Paul Pogba, whose contract with Juventus was recently terminated due to doping problems, has returned to Manchester United’s training facility.
British local media “Centredevils” reported on the 16th (local time) that “31-year-old Paul Pogba will return to Manchester United’s familiar stadium,” adding, “The move is aimed at helping him maintain his physical strength and agility when planning his next steps in football.”
Pogba announced the news of his departure from Serie A Juventus on the day the report was made. Juventus announced that “Juventus and Pogba will terminate their contracts under mutual consultation as of November 30, 2024, and we hope Pogba will do his best in his future professional career.”
Pogba, a former Manchester United youth, made his senior professional debut for Manchester United in 2011. He was a promising player at the time, but he made his debut against Wolverhampton by calling up to the first team. However, there were more days when he started on the bench due to his lack of experience.
Feeling that he was not given the chance, Pogba decided to move to Juventus in just three games. At the time, Pogba complained that he had difficulty competing for the starting lineup, saying, “I asked Alex Ferguson to play, but it was hard to get a chance because I was behind Rafael da Silva and Park Ji-sung.”
After that, he moved to Juventus ahead of the 12-13 season and showed his skills in earnest, becoming a major resource.
At the time, Park Ji-sung said about his transfer, “I don’t think Manchester United expected him to play so well as soon as he went.”
Pogba, who showed his best form at Juventus, returned to his former club Manchester United for a record transfer fee of 89 million euros ahead of the 16-17 season.
However, as soon as he returned to Manchester United like a ghost, he suffered a slump again. He had no goal until the fifth round, and since then, he has shown rapid stagnation, hardly avoiding criticism from fans. On top of that, a flurry of articles criticized that he has negative impact on young players in his team.
He returned to Juventus in 2022 under the stigma of being the ‘worst muktu’ at Manchester United. However, he could not avoid the ‘muktu’ title again after not playing a few games due to injury.
Worse yet, Pogba is also embroiled in a controversy over doping. Pogba was at the center of 비아그라 when he was found to have tested positive for testosterone, a banned substance, in September last year.
In a statement, Pogba immediately protested the decision. “I think the ruling is wrong,” Pogba said. “All the facts will be clear when we get out of legal restriction. I have never intentionally taken supplements that violate the regulation.” He also said he would appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
However, he was tested positive again as a result of additional doping tests and was given a four-year suspension. In an interview with foreign media since then, Pogba has expressed his commitment to participate in the match, saying, “I am putting my return to Juventus as my top priority.”
However, due to the termination of the contract, the return to the league was canceled.
“Pogba’s return to Carrington does not seem to mean that he will return to Manchester United as a professional player,” Centredevils reported. “According to club sources, Pogba’s stay is limited only for training purposes.”
“We are also planning a return to European football, but no official proposal has yet been made,” he added.