Pogba joins Monaco after serving doping ban

He joins Monaco on a free transfer after signing a two-year contract

File photo: Paul Pogba. Photo credit: Reuters

Paul Pogba has joined AS Monaco on a free transfer after signing a two-year contract, the Ligue 1 club said on Saturday, as the 32-year-old French midfielder looks to revive his career following a doping ban.

Pogba was handed a four-year doping ban in February 2024 after testing positive for DHEA, which boosts testosterone levels. The suspension was cut to 18 months after a successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Italian club Juventus announced in November that they had mutually agreed to terminate his contract, which was due to expire in June 2026.

The 2018 World Cup winner had a disappointing second spell with Juventus due to injuries after returning to the Turin-based club following his departure from Manchester United on a free transfer in 2022.

Pogba was signed by United in 2016 for a then-world record fee of 89 million pounds ($122 million) but the four-times Serie A champion won only two trophies with the Premier League club — the League Cup and Europa League in his first season.

He last played for France in 2022 but knee surgery prevented him from appearing at the World Cup in Qatar.

Monaco finished third behind Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain and Olympique de Marseille last season.