GOAL explores the pros and cons of a hypothetical MLS transfer for former Manchester United, Juventus star Paul Pogba.
Juventus recently terminated Paul Pogba's contract following his 18-month suspension for a doping violation, reduced from an initial four years. The decision frees the 31-year-old to return to competitive soccer in March, raising questions on what is the future for the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner and former recipient of the 2013 Golden Boy award. The main one is where. Where does he go from here? The answer, potentially, is Major League Soccer.
Why not follow in the footsteps of Lionel Messi, Olivier Giroud, Marco Reus and ex-France stars Thierry Henry, Blaise Matuidi and Hugo Lloris?
One of the biggest superstars in the world at one point, Pogba is one of the most talented midfielders of the current generation. He has had a few roadblocks, including injuries and form issues on top of his doping suspension, but he's looking to come back out on top now.
Could MLS be the place where he revitalizes his career? GOAL explores the pros and cons of a hypothetical move stateside.
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After nearly 18 months away from the game, come March, the Frenchman – wherever he lands – will need a rebrand. There will be critics who will focus on his doping allegations and there will be coaches and sporting directors who will doubt his ability to return at a high level.
He needs to lean into that and use it as motivation. Whoever takes a chance on him is giving him the opportunity to re-launch his career, and he needs to grab that bull by the horns and ride it until he has nothing left. Aged 31, he still has nearly a decade left in his boots if he chooses so, and at his peak, he was a top five midfielder in the world. It's hard to imagine he will ever reach that level again, but there is still magic left in his boots, he just needs to find it.
MLS presents him that opportunity. Messi is still thriving on the international stage with Argentina, despite crafting his trade stateside. Footballers like Thiago Almada, Diego Gomez, Mateusz Bogusz, Joseph Paintsil and Denis Bouanga are all regulars with their national teams – whom compete against the world's best – while in MLS, too.
The league presents him with the opportunity to compete outside of Europe, while completely rebranding himself at the same time. There is less media and fan pressure in soccer in North America as opposed to what he would face in the old continent.
It's a move that makes plenty of sense for both the league and the Frenchman – it now just comes down to how on if the two parties are actually interested in each other.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportCon: Expensive
Paul is a player who has had success at the highest levels of both the domestic and international game, he's not going to come cheap.
His last contracted salary with Juventus was reportedly an $11m per-year deal that had him inked through 2026. In the wake of his suspension, though, it was reduced to $44k per-month until the recent termination of his deal. For context, in 2024, only two players in MLS – Messi and Lorenzo Insigne – had higher year-round compensation deals than him, though the Italian winger is rumored to be departing Toronto FC this offseason.
If he were to be signed on a similar deal, he would immediately be one of the highest-paid players in the league, and those figured typically tend to be handed toward goal-scorers or creators in the final-third rather than a box-to-box midfielder. However, the direct comparison would be Sergio Busquets at Inter Miami, who is on a Designated Player contract at $8.74m per-year. That figure seems to be a more ballpark area to work around for a potentially interested MLS side.
That's a lot of compensation to throw at a player who has not seen the pitch in 18 months.
Getty Images SportPro: Name recognition
For nearly seven seasons, Pogba was arguably the world's best central midfielder. He was one of the most recognizable players on any day, due to his natural flare in the middle of the park, or his trademark outside-the-boot shot that wowed spectators. From his days in Italy to his time in England to his international performances with , he was an absolute star who people all over the world admired.
Even in 2024 – nearly five years after his last truly stupendous season – that still means something.
If an MLS team were to take a gamble on him, they would be bringing the name-factor and star-power of a World Champion, Champions League finalist, Europa League Winner and more to the pitch. He's a name who sells, whether that's kits, marketing deals, partnerships or tickets, he has the name to draw an audience – and that alone may be worth the gamble for some teams.
European midfielders like Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Rafa Marquez and Andrea Pirlo all made the move to MLS in their 30s – could Pogba be the next?
Getty ImagesCon: Is MLS the right place for a comeback?
With opportunity comes responsibility, though, and Pogba has to ultimately prioritize his legendary career with whatever step he takes next. If he struggles or fails, the backlash will not be kind – regardless of if that is fair or not. He has a lot riding on this choice, with FIFA handing him a second chance in his career two and a half years earlier than expected.
If a move to MLS came about though, he wouldn't be the only party at risk. With the amount his contract would command, and the sheer amount of marketing that would go into making him the face of a franchise, the hypothetical team would be putting a lot of trust in him as well. Frankly, neither party would benefit from any negative aspects of a move to MLS.
Pogba needs wherever he ends up to be a league and a club that trusts him and gives him time, while on the opposite side of the table, there needs to be patience with him in that aspect as well. Regardless of location though, he is putting him self at risk by thrusting himself into the limelight. As likely the highest earner of an MLS team he would join, the spotlight would be heavily on him.