Paul Pogba, Juventus explore contract termination – source

Paul Pogba could become a free agent after opening talks with Juventus with a view to terminating his contract, a source has told ESPN.

Pogba has had a four-year ban for a doping offence reduced to 18 months after launching a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The midfielder can restart training in January 2025 and would be eligible to return to competitive action in March.

A source has told ESPN that both Pogba and Juventus are open to the prospect of the Frenchman restarting his career elsewhere.

He has a contract with the Serie A club until June 2026, but a mutual agreement could see the deal end early, allowing the 31-year-old to sign with another club.

Pogba has only made 12 appearances for Juventus since returning following his departure from Manchester United as a free agent in 2022.

His last competitive appearance was as a second-half substitute in a 2-0 win over Empoli more than a year ago.

Pogba was provisionally suspended in September 2023 before being handed a four-year ban in February. He gave evidence at an appeal in the summer and last week was cleared to begin playing again early next year.

In a statement, CAS outlined their reasoning behind the reduction in Pogba’s ban: “The CAS Panel based its decision on the evidence and legal arguments made that Mr Pogba’s ingestion of DHEA, the substance for which he tested positive, was not intentional and was the result of erroneously taking a supplement prescribed to him by a medical doctor in Florida, after Mr Pogba had been given assurances that the medical doctor, who had claimed to treat several high level US and international athletes, was knowledgeable and would be mindful of Mr Pogba’s anti-doping obligations under the World Anti-Doping Code.

“Much of the evidence provided by Mr Pogba was unopposed. The CAS Panel determined, however, that Mr Pogba was not without fault and that, as a professional football player, he should have paid a greater care in the circumstances.”

A statement issued by Pogba on Friday read: “Finally the nightmare is over. I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again.

“I always stated that I never knowingly breached World Anti-Doping Agency regulations when I took a nutritional supplement prescribed to me by a doctor, which does not affect or enhance the performance of male athletes.

“I play with integrity and, although I must accept that this is a strict liability offence, I want to place on record my thanks to the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s judges who heard my explanation.

“This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold.”