Paul Pogba sent transfer message after returning 'from hell' as Man Utd reunion assessed

Former France international Emmanuel Petit believes Pogba needs to be very careful about which club he chooses to join next after returning from a doping suspension. The midfielder has been linked with a third Red Devils stint but the former Chelsea player feels a Ligue 1 transfer would be a better option.

He told talkSPORTBET: "A return to Manchester United would not be the right environment for Paul Pogba, he needs a good structure for his return to football because he is coming back from hell. He is trying to rebuild his name and his career so the environment is so important. He has to be very careful about the club he decides to join but he probably doesn't have a lot of offers. Clubs will still be questioning him and his ability to play at the highest level because he has missed so many games, it’s a big gamble. The fact is that he wants to come back at the highest level, he has shown great desire and has been training hard, but hasn’t had much time with a football, playing with team-mates. It could take weeks and months, I don’t think Manchester United is the right environment for him right now. He is linked to clubs in France, I think that would be a better option for him.”

Pogba served 18 months of a doping ban before making himself available to be signed again, following his Juventus contract termination, earlier this year, and now a Monaco move is reportedly on the cards. The 2018 World Cup winner undoubtedly has quality but as Petit says, signing the 32-year-old right now is a "gamble" for a troubled United team or any side.

It may just be a matter of time before former Juventus midfielder Pogba, who played 233 times for United over two spells between 2009-12 and 2016-22, joins a new team ahead of the 2025/26 season.