French midfielder Paul Pogba doping ban reduced to 18 months, could a Juventus exit for MLS be next?

The news that French midfielder Paul Pogba's doping ban was officially reduced from four years to 18 months by the the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) became official on Monday. Pogba (31) was suspended in September 2023 and will be back at the beginning of 2025, as the ban was reduced to 18 months. The Juventus player was suspended by the Italian anti-doping after testing positive for DHEA, a banned substance that raises testosterone levels. 

The French international denied the accusations and appealed to CAS in February after testing positive in the wake of a 3-0 win for Juventus against Udinese on August 20, 2023. Upon reducing his sentence, CAS releaed the following statement. 

"The CAS Panel in charge of the matter partially-upheld the appeal filed by Paul Pogba. It has confirmed the ADRV but reduced the sanction imposed on the Player to an 18-month period of ineligibility, commencing on September 11, 2023, and cancelled the fine." 

Pogba has also issued a statement.

"Finally the nightmare is over. I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again. I always stated that I never knowingly breached world anti-doping agency regulations when I took a nutritional supplement prescribed to me by a doctor, which does not affect or enhance the performance of male athletes. This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold". 

Before Juventus' 1-1 draw against Cagliari, Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli spoke about Pogba's situation and said he was waiting for the official decision of CAS to make a decision about his future. "He was a great player, but has been out for a long time." The French star signed a four-year deal with the Bianconeri when he came back in the summer of 2022 running until 2026, worth around €10 million net per season. 

Pogba was one of the world's most expensive transfer when he left Juve for Manchester United in 2016, then rejoined Juve in 2022 as a free agent, but has since played in just 12 matches, dealing with numerous injuries. The Italian giants will likely terminate his contract, and multiple reports suggest he might join MLS in 2025, when he will be able to play again.