Al-Nassr keen on reuniting Cristiano Ronaldo with ex-Manchester United teammate - Reports
Paul Pogba has been linked with a move to Al-Nassr to reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo. The Frenchman is close to terminating his contract with Juventus and is plotting his next move.
As per a report by TEAMtalk, Pogba is set to receive a lucrative contract offer from Al-Nassr. The midfielder is likely to consider the move when he is eligible to return to action next year.
Pogba was initially suspended for four years for a doping offense in August 2023, but his ban was reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). He can return to training in January 2025 and start playing from March onwards. However, reports suggest that Juventus have no plans to retain him.
The former Manchester United star recently spoke to L'Equipe and said:
"I'm just thinking about coming back and getting out of this situation. Of course, you never know what tomorrow will bring, so never say never. I was really happy. I hadn't done anything, why would they give me four years? I'll be able to go back to doing what I love the most."
"It's like I've been given another chance. I've been given back something that had been taken away from me. It's a new lease on life. March is tomorrow, it'll come quickly. And it's something I can't wait to do," he added.
Apart from Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr, TEAMtalk have reported that MLS side Los Angeles FC and Marseille are also interested in signing the midfielder.
Paul Pogba's connection with Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo played just 21 matches with Paul Pogba at Manchester United. The duo never combined for a goal and lost 1/3rd of their games together.
However, the connection between the two is off the pitch as it was reported last year that the Frenchman was using the Portuguese superstar's old villa to keep himself fit. The midfielder was using the villa in the Turin hills as it has a gym, indoor swimming pool, and an outdoor pitch, as per Gazzetta dello Sport.
Pogba was delighted after CAS recently reduced his ban. The Frenchman was handed a four-year suspension for failing a drug test last year, but CAS has reduced it to 18 months. He will return to the pitch early next year.
Cristiano Ronaldo's former Manchester United teammate said (via BBC):
"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."
"I play with integrity and, although I must accept that this is a strict liability offence, I want to place on record my thanks to the Court of Arbitration for Sport's judges who heard my explanation. This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold," he added.
Cristiano Ronaldo has said he will not return to the European leagues. Thus, Pogba's only option to reunite with the Portuguese superstar would be a move to Al-Nassr.