When Paul Pogba was handed a four-year doping ban in February 2024, it was as much a question of ‘if’ as it was ‘when’ we would see the Frenchman again.
When that was reduced on appeal to 18 months in October, the ‘if’ was taken out of the equation. The ‘when’ remained partially unanswered, but it was then the ‘where’ that was on everyone’s lips.
When an emotional Pogba put pen to paper on a two-year deal in the quaint village of La Turbie at the end of June, we had our answer.
Having not played since September 2023, it was AS Monaco who offered the 32-year-old a route back into the professional game, although they were far from the only interested party – even if clubs did bide their time following the expiry of his ban in March.
There were links to the United States, Saudi Arabia and Japan, as well as teams in his native France.
“We thought about [signing Pogba], we wanted to do it,” said Marseille sporting director Medhi Benatia in February. “The problem is, if we want to bring in a Pogba, who is not yet fit, does it make sense to alter the balance?”
Benatia didn’t rule out his side making an approach but ultimately, because of significant doubts about the player’s fitness, they didn’t.
Monaco did. Pogba’s availability for no fee, following the termination of his Juventus contract, was not inconsequential to the principality club’s decision – even if, as Monaco chief executive Thiago Scuro pointed out, “free agents have salaries too”.
Amid a financial crisis that has gripped the French game, Monaco, like everyone, are attentive to market opportunities, of which Pogba was certainly one of the most tempting.
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Pogba, who left Le Havre aged 16 to join Manchester United’s academy, has never played domestic professional football in France
Pogba’s signing was more symbolic of a shifting strategy at Monaco, one targeting the squad’s age profile.
They prioritise providing a pathway into the first team for their academy products, with Maghnes Akliouche, Eliesse Ben Seghir and Soungoutou Magassa recently making the step up.
They also recruit young. George Ilenikhena, Christian Mawissa and Lamine Camara were Monaco’s most expensive summer recruits last season – none were above the age of 20.
In the same summer, two of the most experienced players, Wissam Ben Yedder and Guillermo Maripan, left.
By January, Scuro saw a need to adjust.
“My understanding is that, in the summer, with the goals that we have, we were becoming too young,” said the Brazilian.
“The next step that we see is getting the performance players on board. That is the challenge.”
Attempts to sign England midfielder Jordan Henderson from Ajax failed in January. Moatasem Al-Musrati arrived instead on loan, but Monaco did not trigger an option to buy the Libyan.
Monaco’s pursuit of Pogba was more recent, with ‘La Pioche’ visiting the club’s installations in mid-May, meeting with manager Adi Hutter and president Dmitry Rybolovlev.
Former England defender Eric Dier, another experienced head, also arrived for free this summer from Bayern Munich.
“We want to keep our [youth-centric] strategy, balance it a little but not step away from it,” added Scuro.
Pogba expected to return in October
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Pogba travelled with the squad but did not feature on the pitch during Monaco’s pre-season trip to England
Monaco view Pogba as a player who can help the group mature through his vast experience and natural leadership qualities, which have already been evident during a seamless integration process.
He quickly forged a strong link with the older and younger elements of the squad during Les Monegasques’ pre-season training camp in England.
While Pogba’s positive impact has been felt in the dressing room, it is hoped it will also be felt, in time, on the pitch – even if there may not be an over-reliance on the Frenchman.
Bar Paris St-Germain, it can be argued, prior to Pogba’s arrival, Monaco already had the best midfield in Ligue 1.
He is therefore something of a wildcard, a bonus, but not a player the club will need to rush back out of necessity.
That suits, because Pogba is far from operational. At the start of June, the midfielder revealed an “ambition” to play against his formative club, Le Havre, on the opening day of the season.
But Scuro quickly tempered expectations.
“I can guarantee he won’t be on the pitch against Le Havre. We are here to be realistic. We expect a three-month process,” he said.
That would have Pogba on course to play his first professional match in more than two years around the start of October.
‘It is very rare to see me cry like that’
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Pogba says he wants his kids to see him celebrate a goal with his iconic dab
Monaco and the rest of Ligue 1 will look to benefit from Pogba’s profile in the meantime.
At the time of his presentation, more than half of the Monaco shirts ordered were printed with the World Cup winner’s name, while social media content surrounding his arrival gained 400 million impressions.
Rennes manager Habib Beye and Brest manager Eric Roy have praised the signing, as has the president of the league, Vincent Labrune.
“The league will benefit not only from his talent and his charisma, but also from his international standing,” he said.
Monaco will also stand to benefit on the pitch, should Pogba prove to be the player of old, but there is no guarantee.
Even before his ban the Frenchman had been dogged by injury issues for months, even years, and even admitted to seeing a witch doctor about them.
Pogba was forced to make that admission following accusations from his brother, Mathias, that he had used a witch doctor to place a curse on Kylian Mbappe before PSG’s Champions League last-16 tie against Manchester United in 2019.
Those accusations were part of a wider extortion attempt that dates back to the midfielder’s time at Old Trafford.
In March 2022 he was kidnapped by masked men, who demanded a payment of 13m euros (£11.3m). His brother was sentenced to a three-year prison term, two years of which were suspended.
Pogba believed that difficult chapter impacted him on the pitch.
“It is all linked,” he said at his presentation, which he began by explaining his tears upon signing for Monaco.
“If the mind is good, it will go well on the pitch. It is very rare to see me cry like that, so I hope you enjoyed it. There were so many images that came into my mind.
“We know the doping story, my injury… everything came back to me during the signing and I just couldn’t hold it back. It was a moment of joy.”
Clearly marked by an unsavoury spell in the footballing wilderness, Pogba has now turned the page in his career and is eager to enjoy a fresh start.
“I spoke with multiple people [during my ban] who helped me to see things in the present, to not think about the past or the future,” he added.
Now “more determined”, Pogba has extra motivation, too, for his comeback.
“I wanted my kids to see me on the pitch – my dream is to see my kids celebrate one of my goals with a dab,” he joked.
A return to the international set-up is also a major objective, and he couldn’t be in a better place to add to his 91 caps, with France boss Didier Deschamps’ residence just a stone’s throw away from Monaco’s performance centre.
Next summer’s World Cup will be Deschamps’ final tournament after 14 years in charge. Pogba was one of his key players during Les Bleus’ 2018 triumph in Russia and, with a second chance and new lease of life, he could yet be once more.
