Paul Pogba is officially back, and the former Manchester United midfielder has signed a two-year deal with AS Monaco, as Softfootball gathered, marking his return to professional football after an 18-month suspension for a doping violation.
Pogba, now 32, was emotional, as revealed by popular transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano on X last Friday. Pogba penned his contract with the Ligue 1 side, ending months of speculation about his future.
The French star had been sidelined since February 2024, after testing positive for DHEA, a banned substance that boosts testosterone production.
Initially slapped with a four-year ban, Pogba successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which acknowledged the use was unintentional and reduced the ban to 18 months. His Juventus contract was mutually terminated shortly after.
Eligible to return from March 2025, the French Star has now chosen a new path with Monaco, aiming to rediscover his form after a short hiatus.
The former Manchester United player isn’t the first player to return from a doping suspension; one of them in the past was Andre Onana, who was charged and went on to play professional football for top clubs.
In 2021, Andre Onana, now the Red Devils’ goalkeeper, faced a similar ordeal while at Ajax. The Cameroonian goalkeeper tested positive for furosemide, a banned diuretic, after mistakenly taking his wife’s medication, thinking it was aspirin.
Onana was handed a 12-month ban, but CAS again stepped in, reducing the suspension to nine months. He later joined Inter, starred in the Champions League final, and eventually made his way to Old Trafford.
Softfootball earlier reported that Andre Onana has reportedly rejected the idea of leaving Manchester United this summer, despite interest from Ligue 1 side Monaco, who are preparing for Champions League football.
Onana has made it clear he wants to stay at United and earn the trust of new head coach Ruben Amorim. Despite Amorim reportedly seeking a fresh option in goal, Onana is focused on redemption at United and intends to see out his current contract, which runs until 2028.
