Paul Pogba's next club: Man Utd three-peat, MLS link-up with Lionel Messi or Olivier Giroud & the eight free transfer options for France World Cup winner after doping ban ends - ranked

Pogba sent United fans into frenzy last month by posting a cartoon of himself on Instagram in the club's kit alongside Amad Diallo, followed by the cryptic message: "Let's see what's coming."

One supporter responded by insisting "he's worth the third chance looking at problems of this current squad", a sentiment echoed by former Red Devils striker Louis Saha. "We need guarantees, we need quality, we need confidence, we need leadership, and this guy now has an opportunity to show how much he wants it," Saha said.

While Saha's assessment is undeniably true, the risks of bringing Pogba back for a third time outweigh the potential rewards for head coach Ruben Amorim. In his final few years in Manchester, Pogba became more of a hindrance than a help, only performing sporadically in between spells in the treatment room.

There was constant speculation over his future amid persistent links with Real Madrid, too, and the Old Trafford faithful had turned on Pogba long before his exit in June 2022. Adding him back into the mix three years later would probably only create problems for Amorim, and he has enough of those to contend with already.

According to El Gol Digital, Atletico Madrid are interested in signing Pogba, and there is a belief at the club that Antoine Griezmann's friendship with his compatriot could help facilitate the transfer. Diego Simeone has just lost Koke to a serious muscle injury, which leaves Atletico a bit short on depth in the engine room, and Pogba might be able provide cover.

Atletico are fighting for the La Liga title again, and have also progressed to the Champions League last 16 and Copa del Rey semi-finals, but cannot afford to take their foot off their gas even slightly. It is, therefore, not hard to see why a short-term deal for Pogba might appeal.

That being said, Pogba just isn't ready for a challenge this big. Simeone is a notoriously strict task master who demands the highest levels of discipline and effort, and those who fall short are soon exiled (just look at Joao Felix). If Pogba is to return to a top-five European league, it will have to be at a club with lower expectations and less pressure.

In one of the most bizarre stories of the Christmas period, it was reported that a Brazilian escort agency, Fatal Model, approached Corinthians with an offer to help them push through the signing of Pogba. The agency were said to be willing to pay close to £500,000 per month to Corinthians to help cover Pogba's wages, but the Brasilerao club rejected the deal due to a reluctance to be associated with such a company.

Journalist Lucas Sposito claimed Pogba was open to joining Corinthians, though, and there is still an outside chance they will find another investor to fund the transfer. Pogba even joked about playing for the club for free in a video call with Brazilian influencer Luca de Pedreiro, just so he can play alongside Memphis Depay again.

Pogba had a good relationship with Depay during their time together at United, and a friendly face could help him settle quickly in South America. Depay has certainly had a new lease of life since joining Corinthians, while Neymar is now shining again back at boyhood club Santos, which suggests Brazil could be a good place for Pogba to rebuild some confidence.

Pogba sparked talk of a potential move to Inter Miami when he headed to Florida to train in November, and has also been spotted at various high-profile events in America in recent months. He was also in the Chase Stadium crowd to watch Miami's MLS round one play-off clash with Atlanta United as Lionel Messi and Co suffered a shock 3-2 defeat.

Miami have been tipped to make a move for Pogba, who would have no problem fitting in a dressing room full of superstars. Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets followed Messi to Miami and they romped the 2024 Supporters' Shield title under Gerardo 'Tata' Martino.

A new era is now beginning under Javier Mascherano, and Miami have already made a few signings as they target MLS Cup glory in the new season. Whether or not they have room on their wage bill to recruit Pogba remains to be seen, but he already owns a luxury apartment in Florida, and it wouldn't be surprise if Miami co-owner David Beckham has already sounded out the France international.

Pogba and Jose Mourinho didn't always see eye-to-eye at Manchester United. The Portuguese constantly challenged Pogba, and didn't hesitate to punish the midfielder when he was slacking off.

Indeed, he was stripped of vice-captaincy duties after being filmed having a tense exchange with Mourinho in training, and may not have survived at Old Trafford had the manager not been sacked in December 2018. "Once I had a great relationship with Mourinho, everybody saw that, and the next day you don't know what happened," Pogba told Sky Sports in 2021. "That's the strange thing I had with Mourinho and I cannot explain to you because even I don't know."

Recent murmurs of the pair reuniting at Fenerbahce, then, should be taken with a pinch of salt. But it's also true that the best football of Pogba's United career came under Mourinho; he was the driving force behind their run to Europa League and League Cup glory in 2016-17, and who could forget his two-goal, Man-of-the-Match display in a comeback derby win over Man City the following season.

Maybe it's time for a reconciliation. A fully fit Pogba could slot straight into Mourinho's Fenerbahce line-up, alongside his ex-United team-mate Fred, and perhaps even help them leapfrog arch-rivals Galatasaray at the top of the Super Lig table.

If Pogba does end up in MLS, it's more likely to be at Los Angeles FC than Inter Miami. According to Tuttosport, LAFC made initial contact with Pogba at the end of last year to discuss the possibility of a free transfer.

There is a designated player spot open on the LAFC roster after the departure of club legend Carlos Vela, and Pogba might just be the man to fill it. A move to Hollywood would undoubtedly appeal to the flamboyant Frenchman, and he'd be able to link-up with two fellow countrymen.

Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris both joined LAFC in 2024 and became MLS Cup winners in their debut season. Pogba was always the perfect foil for Giroud in the France national team, and his arrival could spark a return to top form for the ex-Arsenal and Chelsea man, who has yet to open his scoring account in MLS.

The other plus point for Pogba is that America's flagship soccer league doesn't compare to any of the elite European divisions. He could build up his fitness and match sharpness on a short-term deal with a view to potentially returning to Europe in peak condition next season.

In December, Marseille president Pablo Longoria promised to "analyse" a swoop for Pogba, and the following month, Mason Greenwood welcomed the prospect of reuniting with his former United colleague. Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi has since revealed the outcome of the club's internal talks about Pogba, but any fans hoping to see the 31-year-old arrive at Stade Velodrome before the end of the season were left disappointed.

"Pogba is a very great player, but we had to understand where we could use him once he was available to play, in what role, what position," De Zerbi said. "The more champions there are, the happier I am, that wasn't it. It was a general assessment and maybe it will change, but at the moment we made this decision due to several factors."

That didn't sound like a complete rejection, though. Marseille are on course to qualify for the Champions League, and De Zerbi's stance might well change when the time comes for him to start planning for next season.

Pogba's wealth of experience at the top level could be invaluable to Marseille in Europe, and it would also be fascinating to see him line up in Ligue 1 for the first time. The comfort of playing in his homeland seems like the quickest path to a return to the France squad, too, but it remains to be seen if Marseille will reignite their interest.

Pogba could also opt to take the same route Cristiano Ronaldo did after leaving United in 2022, and head to Saudi Arabia. Indeed, it has been rumoured that the Al-Nassr superstar has already invited his old team-mate to Al-Awwal Park, where he has been banging in goals for fun over the past two seasons.

Al-Nassr sold star midfielder Anderson Talisca to Fenerbahce in January, and Pogba could be the ideal replacement. Like MLS, the Saudi Pro League is very much still a work in progress, but the financial rewards are also far greater, meaning he can gradually build up his rhythm again while earning a King's ransom.

N'Golo Kante managed to do that at Al-Ittihad, breaking back into the France squad in the process, and there's no reason Pogba can't do the same. The Middle East might not be the most attractive option to a player as ambitious as Pogba, but it's probably the best one at this crucial stage in his career.