Paul Pogba was once regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world. Manchester United paid £89m to bring him back to the club from Juventus, and he won the World Cup with France in 2018. His time at Old Trafford was mixed, where he won just the Europa League and the EFL Cup.
Pogba showed glimmers of excellence for United. However, supporters will remember being frustrated at his inconsistent form. He returned to Juventus in 2022, but injuries and a doping ban meant that the Frenchman played just eight times in his second stint in Serie A before his contract was terminated.
His ban was reduced from four years to 18 months, which has enabled Pogba to play competitive soccer since last March. Pogba has taken his time waiting for the right opportunity, and he is now set to join a new club.
ESPN has reported that "Pogba will sign with Ligue 1 side AS Monaco. Pogba has verbally agreed to a two-year contract with the French club after turning down a major deal from a Saudi Pro League side."
Will Paul Pogba be a fit for Monaco?
It is exciting to hear that Pogba is back and will be competing in France's top domestic league for the first time in his career. We have previously only seen the midfielder in action in England and Italy. Pogba is from Lagny-sur-Marne, which is in the suburbs of Paris. However, he was never picked up by the biggest club in Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain.
Pogba played for Roissy-en-Brie, Torcy, and then Le Havre before joining United. Now, at the age of 32, we will see him back in French soccer. Monaco is one of the biggest clubs in France, alongside PSG and Marseille. Les Rouge et Blanc have won Ligue 1 eight times, but the last time they did so was back in 2017.
Monaco finished third in Ligue 1 last season, which was 23 points behind the champions, PSG. Therefore, Adi Hütter's side has a lot of catching up to do, and this starts with the signing of Pogba. Monaco has the highly rated 21-year-old Senegalese midfielder Lamine Camara in their ranks, who will likely partner Pogba in the middle of the park.
Also in Monaco's ranks is USMNT forward Folarin Balogun. He is yet to be as prolific for Hütter's team as he was for Stade de Reims. However, with Pogba behind him, Balogun is sure to get much better service going forward.
Could we see Paul Pogba at the 2026 World Cup?
Pogba has shown great ambition by choosing to join Monaco and to play at the highest level in Europe again. He could have gone to the Saudi Pro League, picked up lots of money, but that would have been in a less competitive division.
The midfielder will be looking to make up for lost time and might be able to add to his 91 caps for France. Pogba has won the Nations League and the World Cup with France. He was a key part of Didier Deschamps' side that was victorious in Russia in 2018. However, he missed the 2022 tournament due to knee surgery, where France lost in the final to Argentina.
The 2026 World Cup will be Deschamps' final one as the manager of Les Bleus. Therefore, he may want to welcome Pogba back into the fold to give his side the best chance at claiming soccer's ultimate prize again next year.
Deschamps' decision will depend on Pogba's form for Monaco. He has been out of action for a long time, so we do not know what his performances will be like. However, Pogba has kept himself fit and will have the drive to make the most of the rest of his career.