Ex-Man Utd star drops bombshell 'rumour' he's heard about Paul Pogba returning to the club for a third time

Paul Pogba has been tipped to return to Manchester United for a third time by a former Red Devils star.

Pogba recently terminated his contract with Juventus by mutual consent after his doping suspension was reduced following a successful appeal.

In a second spell with the Bianconeri, Pogba made just seven appearances after being banned for four years after testing positive for DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) - a compound which promotes the production of hormones in the body including testosterone.

The France international saw his suspension decreased to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport but Juventus announced he would be leaving the club for a second time on 30 November.

Pogba is set to be allowed to start training again in January and already he has been linked with a move back to the Premier League, as well as Ligue One side Marseille and teams in Saudi Arabia.

There were suggestions about him heading back to United to improve his fitness, with those reports swiftly dismissed. However, former United star Louis Saha claims there are some legs in rumours of him returning in the New Year.

And the Frenchman believes Pogba can add something to a struggling United side languishing in 13th - and even be worth a punt for leading Premier League clubs given he would not cost a transfer fee.

"I’ve heard some rumours that Paul Pogba will be offered the opportunity to come back and train with Man United in the New Year, and I think that would be a great opportunity for Paul," Saha told Casino Utan Spelpaus.

"He needs to get back to his best level as quickly as possible, and training with top players will help him to do that. I think he would be thrilled to have the opportunity to go back to the club.

“I also think that Paul Pogba is still a very special player. When you think about midfielders, Pogba has unique qualities. I think the United squad lacks power in the midfield, and we’re missing a skilful player that can play box-to-box, so he would be a good addition (to the United squad) because he’s a different profile of player to what United have.

“When I look at Pogba, I think that many teams in the Premier League would find signing him as a free agent an attractive proposition. Forget about the salary, I’m sure Paul is ready to find a compromise on that as he wants to play football again after such a long time on the sidelines.

"When I think about Pogba, there are more positives with signing him than there are negatives, and I think he’s a player that should interest Manchester United in January. All the top clubs in the Premier League should see signing Pogba on a free transfer as an amazing opportunity. That’s how I see it.”

Paul Pogba has been tipped to return to Manchester United. Image: Getty

Pogba's first stint at United came when he failed to make the grade in the first-team and he proceeded to establish himself as one of the best midfielders in the world in Serie A after signing for Juventus on a free in 2012.

United paid a massive £89 million to bring him back to Old Trafford, with Pogba scoring 38 times in 226 appearances as he helped United win the Carabao Cup and Europa League.

Pogba's last game as a footballer was a substitute appearance for Juventus against Empoli back in September 2023 prior to his doping ban.

After it was confirmed he would be leaving Juventus, the 31-year-old said he was "looking forward to the next chapter of my career and to stepping out on the pitch with my next club".