OGC Nice rule themselves out of race to sign Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba (31) will return to football in the coming months. A CAS ruling overturned Pogba's lengthy four-year ban, reducing the sentence to just 18 months. It means that the former Manchester United midfielder can resume his playing career in March 2025. However, he will not do that at Juventus.

As announced in mid-November, the France international and the Serie A giants reached an agreement on a mutual contract termination. As a result, Pogba can sign as a free agent. He has been linked with a host of clubs around the world, but is reportedly keen to continue playing in one of Europe's top five divisions.

Pogba has not ruled out the possibility of playing in Ligue 1 amid interest from Olympique de Marseille. A former teammate, Patrice Evra, has done his best to lobby for such a move. However, one Ligue 1 team, OGC Nice, has excluded itself from participation.

“To be completely honest, I don't think we have the opportunity to bring Pogba to Nice today,” sporting director Florian Maurice told L'Équipe. Since INEOS bought a significant stake in Manchester United, spending at Le Gym has fallen.

He added: “I think a lot of clubs will look into this deal, even though it has been a while since he has played. I think there will be a lot of competition and I don't think we will be able to fight to bring such a player to OGC Nice.”

GFFN | Luke Entwistle