Paul Pogba next club hint after David Beckham Inter Miami decision already made

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba looks set to become one of football's most interesting free agents.

The former Reds playmaker is reportedly set to leave Serie A side Juventus with the Italian giant working towards an amicable exit from his contract. The Frenchman's career has taken a drastic turn since leaving United in the summer of 2022.

Pogba returned to Juventus as a free agent, but injuries plagued his return to Italy's top flight, before NADO Italia detected banned testosterone in his system. He was a handed a four-year suspension from the game, which was later reduced to 18 months on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

That means the 31-year-old will be able to return training in January and play competitive football again in March. Following his successful appeal, Pogba has given a number of interviews claiming to be willing to give up money to play for Juventus again, though reports in Italy suggest Thiago Motta's side have moved on and are working towards a solution.

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Pogba had been the highest paid player in the Serie A - with weekly wages of £418,000 at the time of his ban - according to The Athletic. Those wages were reduced to €2,000 a month during his suspension as per the terms of an agreement between Italian clubs and the country’s professional footballers’ union (AIC).

So what comes next for the 2018 World Cup winner?

What Pogba has said

Despite publicly wanting to return to Juventus, Pogba looks set to become a free agent, with clubs across the world on high alert. In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, he ruled out playing for another club in Italy, saying: "I’ll never betray Juventus. It’s impossible, even if Ibra (Zlatan Ibrahimovic) were to call me (and try to sign him for AC Milan)."

Manchester City and Real Madrid were both linked with Pogba in years gone by, but both clubs have moved on since then, and with the Frenchman aged 32 when his contract runs out, his options at the elite level look limited. His absence from the game raises questions over whether he'll be at the level required to play in the Premier League, while clubs in Spain and Germany are also reportedly not keen on his services.

The midfielder hasn't ruled out a return to France one his ban is up - but kept his cards close to his chest. Speaking to L’Equipe last month, he said: "The possibility of coming to play in Ligue 1? I’m at a club, I’m just thinking about coming back and getting out of this situation. Of course, you never know what tomorrow will bring, so never say never."

MLS

A possible destination for Pogba is the MLS. The Athletic claims clubs in the North American competition had put in “discovery calls” with the league. A discovery call is a request to add a player to a club's Discovery List, giving the club the right to sign the player.

However, it would be difficult for Pogba to link up with the competition's two biggest clubs, LA Galaxy and Inter Miami, given both clubs have filled their designated player (DP) spots for the 2025 season. LAFC has one spot open for a designated player, but reports claim they're focussed on Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann to fill that void.

The Athletic report claims there is a workaround for teams looking to sign superstar players. If a player is being paid off by the club he's leaving, then they may be more willing to sign for an MLS club on lower wages - which is a viable option for Pogba.

Inter Miami's Jordi Alba is an example of this, moving to the MLS on a discount while being paid by Barcelona, with David Beckham's assembling a star-studded, record-breaking side. Gareth Bale and Marco Reus have also completed similar transfers in recent seasons.

However, he'd have to agree a contract amounting to less than £1.34m in 2025 to avoid being tagged as a designated player - falling in line with the MLS wage structure. Inter Miami have also recently walked away from a deal to sign Neymar on such terms - which raises doubts over a move for the former Reds midfielder.

Pogba was spotted out in Miami to watch Tata Martino’s side play their first play-off game. The Frenchman met up with club legend and Inter Miami owner Beckham during the 2021 off-season, posting a photo to his 62.13million followers on Instagram, captioning the post: “Too much sauce.”

It remains to be seen whether Beckham will use his relationship with Pogba to tempt him to the Chase Stadium, if he is to leave Juventus, but it's one to keep a close eye on given he regularly spends time out in Miami.

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