News

Former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba is in advanced talks with Monaco as he seeks a return to football after a doping suspension.

The French World Cup winner, 32, is moving towards a return to his homeland with the Ligue 1 side.

BBC Sport understands discussions have revolved around the midfielder signing a two-year contract with Monaco, who hope to close the deal in the coming days.

Talks have been ongoing for a number of weeks, with Pogba training before pre-season as he plots his return to action.

Pogba was provisionally suspended after being randomly tested following Juventus’ opening game of the 2023-24 season against Udinese.

He later received a four-year ban which was slashed to 18 months in October following an appeal.

He agreed a mutual termination of his contract with Juventus in November and has been free to recommence his career since March.

In the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s final judgement on his case it was confirmed that Pogba did inadvertently take DHEA, a substance that boosts testosterone and is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list.

Sam Burns hit a sensational five-under 65 to set the clubhouse target as Scottie Scheffler battled to make the cut during the second round of the US Open.

Only four of 78 players in the early wave posted under-par scores on another gruelling day at Oakmont with Burns improving to three under overall.

The top 60 and ties make it through to the weekend, and world number one Scheffler is set to be comfortably inside the cut mark, which is projected to be seven over with 78 players to complete their rounds.

Scheffler, who scrapped to a 71, mixing four birdies with five bogeys to finish on four over, said: “With the way I was hitting it, it was easily a day I could have been going home and I battled pretty hard to stay in there.

“Around this golf course I don’t think by any means I’m out of the tournament.”

His fellow American Burns enjoyed a better day in Pennsylvania, posting the lowest score of the week.

Burns, who finished runner-up at last week’s Canadian Open, had six birdies in his round and finished with a 22-foot par putt to leave himself one behind round one leader JJ Spaun, who was just heading out among the later starters.

Norway’s Viktor Hovland was scintillating through his opening eight holes, including a brilliant chip-in eagle at the 17th (his eighth) to also close within one of Spaun.

However, a rollercoaster back nine that featured two birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey saw him post a 68 that leaves him at one under.

Statement wins at the US PGA Championship, Memorial and CJ Byron Nelson over the past five weeks had ensconced Scheffler as a clear favourite to add the US Open to his growing collection of major titles.

But this tournament cares little for reputation – and the world’s top ranked player has not won it since Tiger Woods in 2008.

Round two started well, Scheffler, who started at three over, downing a 20-foot birdie putt at his first (the 10th). After that, it unravelled, with three bogeys in five holes.

However, he found a bounceback birdie at the second (his 11th) but smashed his club on the ground in frustration after driving his ball in the huge ‘Church Pews’ bunker down the third.

So often admired for his relaxed composure, it was a further sign all was not right with the Olympic champion’s game.

Scheffler’s toils were put into perspective by a charging Burns who made a mockery of Oakmont’s grisly challenge.

Sensational from tee to green, he actually missed decent opportunities down the stretch to add to his 11 birdies over the first two rounds before that brilliant par save at the final hole.

If his regains his usually reliable putting stroke – he is first on the PGA Tour this season for strokes gained on the greens – he will be well placed to fight for his maiden major title.

Another in that bracket is Hovland who, playing alongside Scheffler, lit up the front nine with some excellent iron play.

Ranked first for strokes gained around the green in round two, the 2023 Tour Championship winner closed in on Spaun with a majestic 55-foot chipped eagle from the rough on the 17th (his eighth).

Two-time US Open champion Brooks Koepka has shown glimpses of his impressive major-winning credentials but was scrappy in a round of 74 to drop to two over par.

Two shots further behind, the 2021 champion Jon Rahm saw his challenge falter, having impressed on day one.

Starting the round three off the lead, he followed three bogeys on his first nine with a penal double bogey at the 12th to drop to four over par, with his sole birdie arriving at the fourth.

To compound his frustration, he saw a series of birdie chances slide by during his closing holes before a bogey at the last left him eight shots off Spaun.

“I’m too mad to put it into perspective,” he said afterwards.

Britain’s Emma Raducanu was outclassed by world number five Zheng Qinwen in the quarter-finals at Queen’s.

Raducanu showed flashes of her quality but ultimately fell 6-2 6-4 to the Olympic champion in front of a packed crowd.

The 22-year-old took a medical timeout after the first set, having struggled with back spasms over the past few months.

Raducanu was given a true physical test by Zheng, but it was another defeat that showed the gap between the British number one and the world’s very best.

China’s Zheng will face either third seed Emma Navarro or Amanda Anisimova for place in the final.

Qualifier Tatjana Maria earlier stunned former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina to set up a semi-final meeting with Australian Open champion Madison Keys.

There was reason for Raducanu to be confident against Zheng, who is still finding her feet on the grass court and has a serve that can waver when under pressure.

World number 37 Raducanu had also made relatively serene progress through her first two matches, dropping just eight games across four sets.

But, as Raducanu found against Iga Swiatek in Melbourne and Paris, and Coco Gauff in Italy, there is a different, consistent level needed to beat the players for who winning is a habit.

In an edgy start, Raducanu put pressure on Zheng’s serve while saving break points in her own games.

But Zheng broke through at the seventh attempt, a blistering backhand down the line silencing the crowd, who had earlier voiced their displeasure after Zheng had to change her shoes midway through the game.

Raducanu kept up the pressure, creating an immediate break-back opportunity, but Zheng’s huge groundstrokes kept her at bay, and a rushed forehand into the net handed the top seed the first set.

Raducanu left court for a medical timeout on her back but took advantage as Zheng’s first serve all but disappeared on her return.

With the wind picking up, Raducanu produced a series of ruthless returns to Zheng’s second serve and quickly found herself 3-0 up.

But Zheng wrestled a break back and upped her intensity when needed, creeping forward to attack Raducanu’s serve. A double fault handed Zheng the break back and she reeled off four games in a row to close out the match.

Earlier, world number 86 Maria used her slice-heavy style of play to outfox 11th-ranked Rybakina.

Maria broke the Kazakh for the first time in the competition on her way to taking the first set, before the pair traded early breaks in the second.

Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Maria was unable to serve out the match at 5-4 but showed no signs of nerves in the tie-break to cement her place in the last four.

Tatjana, who took two breaks from the tour to have her two daughters, told the crowd: “It’s a perfect example to never give up and to always keep going.

“I’m super proud and I hope in a few years you will see my eldest daughter in the same stage here!”

She will now face Keys, who battled back from a messy first set to beat rising talent Shnaider.

A below-par Keys succumbed to the clean ball-striking of Shnaider, who broke serve twice on her way to taking the opening set.