Former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba is a free agent after finishing his suspension for allegedly taking a prohibited performance-enhancing substance.
The France international was linked with moves to Marseille, the Saudi Pro League and Major League Soccer following his return, but no club took the punt on his services.
Pogba has been reflecting on his career. He has talked about his ill-fated second spell at Man Utd, where a clash with Jose Mourinho left him frustrated and depressed.
He left Old Trafford and established himself at Juventus but returned to Manchester for a then-world-record fee of around £89.3 million. Mourinho and Pogba clashed at several junctions.
“I didn’t understand what was happening,” Pogba said (via GQ France). “I was a key player, and suddenly, I was on the bench.
“There was no communication. I couldn’t talk. I wasn’t happy, and a footballer who isn’t happy can’t perform well.”
“I fell into depression without even realising it. Nobody teaches you what depression is. Until one day, I started getting bald spots on my scalp. I didn’t understand what it was. They told me it was stress.”
His return to United left a bitter taste, and he returned to Juventus on a free transfer. In Italy, news broke that he was being extorted and blackmailed by a ring of friends and his brother.
There was no let up for Pogba as the drug ban immediately followed. He appealed the initial four-year sentence, which was reduced to 18 months, but his reputation suffered.
Pogba claims he has had plenty of offers, and it will be intriguing to see where his career takes him.
