Premier League giants challenged to 'show guts' and seal Paul Pogba transfer in January
Paul Pogba will return from his 18-month doping ban in March 2025 and Arsenal have been told to sign the former Manchester United midfielder by ex-Gunners star Emmanuel Petit
by Matthew Cooper · The MirrorArsenal have been urged to take a "gamble" and sign Paul Pogba when he returns from his drugs ban.
The 31-year-old was hit with a four-year suspension in February after he tested positive for DHEA after Juventus beat Udinese in August 2023. DHEA is a banned substance that boosts the production of endogenous testosterone.
However, Pogba insisted he did not intentionally take the substance and successfully appealed his suspension at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. As a result, his ban has been reduced to 18 months and he will be able to return to action in March 2025.
The midfielder is still under contract at Juventus, but it appears unlikely he will play for them again and former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit believes the Gunners should offer Pogba a return to the Premier League as he will be desperate to "prove that he's not finished".
"Paul Pogba would be a good option for Arsenal, but it's a gamble," Petit told Instant Casino. "It's a coin toss. The last game he played was last September, 14 months ago. He cannot prepare himself with his teammates because he's not allowed to do so.
"He has to train by himself every single day with a physio. It's not the same. You're missing the game, you're missing the movement, you're missing the tactics. It will take months to get the best out of Paul Pogba.
"It's a gamble and on top of it he [will be] 32-years-old but you can argue that mentally he will come back strongly. He wants to prove that he's not finished yet. What happened to him for the last 2-3 seasons was a nightmare outside the pitch."
However, Petit admitted he does not expect Arsenal will "actually have the guts to sign a player like Pogba" as the move does not fit with their philosophy. He added: "I'm not sure big clubs like Arsenal actually have the guts to sign a player like Pogba.
"Remember what happened with some top players that join Arsenal, most of them have been a failure. I'm not sure as well that signing Paul Pogba fits with the philosophy of Arsenal actually, especially after Edu walked out.
"It's a gamble, but I'm not sure that Arsenal will take it. I'm pretty sure that some French clubs will be very interested in him."
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