Paul Pogba has been eligible to return to competitive football for the past month following the conclusion of his doping ban, but the former Manchester United star remains without a club.
Chris Sutton, a former Premier League champion, believes Pogba should consider dropping to the Championship and make a surprise switch to Norwich City in a bid to revive his career.
The 32-year-old French international has been unattached since Juventus terminated his contract in November. Despite having his initial four-year suspension reduced to 18 months after appealing his doping charge—testing positive for banned substance DHEA—Pogba parted ways with the Serie A side.
Since his ban ended in March, Pogba has been loosely linked with a return to Manchester United. However, Sky Sports Germany reported that a Premier League comeback isn’t on his radar. Instead, Pogba is said to be weighing up options from Germany, Spain, France, the Saudi Pro League, and Major League Soccer.
Sutton, who previously played for Chelsea and Blackburn, has floated the idea of Pogba moving to the Championship, specifically to Norwich City, as a way of getting back on track.
“I’d love to see Paul Pogba at Norwich City,” Sutton told BestBettingSites.co.uk. “Is his career over? Maybe not, but if he joined Norwich, he’d be a small fish in a big pond. The doping ban saw him miss a lot of football, and at his age, it’s tough to return and reach the same levels.”
He added: “Pogba is hugely talented, and he may still believe he can play at the top. But after such a long absence, it’s going to be tough. Dropping down slightly to a strong Championship club like Norwich could be the right move.”
Pogba, who last played a competitive match in September 2023 for Juventus against Empoli, recently addressed his future in an interview with GQ Magazine.
“There are offers coming in—from all over,” Pogba said, adding that he plans to carefully consider his next step, as it’s a pivotal moment in both his life and career.
Though his immediate focus is returning to club football, Pogba also hinted at a potential comeback with the French national team.
“First, I need to get back into rhythm,” he said. “The club you play for doesn’t always determine national team selection. Gignac played in Mexico and got called up, Kante is back while playing in Saudi Arabia. It’s up to me.”
