Why Monaco have gambled on ‘wildcard’ Pogba

When Paul Pogba received a four-year doping ban in February of this year, it was as much a question of “if” as “when” we would see the Frenchman again.

The “if” was removed from the equation when that was reduced on appeal to 18 months in October. The “when” was partially left unanswered, but it was then the “where” that everyone was talking about.

We had a response when a heartfelt Pogba signed a two-year deal with La Turbie at the end of June.

Even though clubs did bide their time after the end of his ban in March, AS Monaco was the only one who could have given the 32-year-old a chance to return to the professional game despite being far from the only ones interested.

There were connections to his native France, teams from his native country, and the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Japan.

In February, Marseille’s sporting director Medhi Benatia stated, “We thought about]signing Pogba], we wanted to do it.” Does it make sense to change the balance if we want to bring in a Pogba who isn’t yet fit?

Benatia didn’t rule out his side making an approach, but in the end, they didn’t because of serious concerns about the player’s fitness.

Monaco did . Even though, according to Monaco’s chief executive Thiago Scuro, “free agents have salaries too,” Pogba’s availability for no fee following the termination of his Juventus contract was not irrelevant to the principality club’s decision.

Pogba’s signing embodied a different approach to Monaco, one that focused on the squad’s age range.

With Maghnes Akliouche, Eliesse Ben Seghir, and Soungoutou Magassa recently joining the first team, they prioritize establishing a pathway into the first team for their academy graduates.

They also hire young people. None of Monaco’s summer recruits were over the age of 20; only George Ilenikhena, Christian Mawissa, and Lamine Camara were among the most expensive.

Wissam Ben Yedder and Guillermo Maripan, two of the most seasoned players, left the same summer.

Scuro recognized the need to make adjustments by January.

According to the Brazilian, “I think we were getting too young in the summer due to the goals we have.”

“Getting the performance players on board is the next step,” says the director. That’s the challenge.

Jordan Henderson’s attempts to move from Ajax to England failed in January. Instead, Monaco did not grant the Libyan’s request for a loan, despite the fact that Mohamed Al-Musrati had already arrived on loan.

La Pioche visited the club’s facilities in mid-May to meet with manager Adi Hutter and president Dmitry Rybolovlev, which is more recent in Monaco’s pursuit of Pogba.

Eric Dier, a former England defender, also signed for free from Bayern Munich this summer.

Through his extensive experience and natural leadership skills, which have already been apparent during a smooth integration process, Monaco view Pogba as a player who can help the group mature.

During Les Monegasques’ pre-season training camp in England, he quickly established a strong relationship with both the squad’s older and younger members.

Pogba’s positive impact has been felt in the dressing room, but it is hoped it will also be felt later on the pitch, even if the Frenchman may not have been overused.

Prior to Pogba’s arrival, it can be argued that Monaco already had the best midfield in the Ligue 1.

Therefore, he’s a wildcard and a bonus, but not a player the club will have to rush back from a rush of necessity.

Because Pogba is not fully functional, that is appropriate. The midfielder made an “ambition” to play against Le Havre on the opening day of the season at the beginning of June.

However, Scuro quickly tempered expectations.

He won’t likely play against Le Havre, I can assure you. To be realistic, we are here. He predicted a three-month process.

Pogba’s reputation will continue to benefit Monaco and the rest of Ligue 1.

More than half of the Monaco shirts ordered had the name of the World Cup winner on them, and 400 million people saw his arrival on social media.

Both the signing of Rennes and Brest have received praise for the signing, as has the league’s president, Vincent Labrune.

He said, “The league will benefit from both his charisma and talent, as well as his reputation abroad.”

If Pogba proves to be the legendary player of his day, Monaco will also gain, but that is a possibility.

Before his ban, the Frenchman had been plagued by injuries for months, even years, and he even acknowledged that he had seen a witch doctor about them.

Following accusations from his brother Mathias that he had used a witch to curse Kylian Mbappe before PSG’s Champions League last-16 game against Manchester United in 2019, Pogba was forced to make the admission.

The midfielder’s involvement in a wider extortion plot dates back to his time at Old Trafford, according to the accusations.

He was abducted by masked men in March 2022 and demanded money in the amount of 13 million euros (£11.3 million). His brother received a three-year prison sentence, two of which were suspended.

Pogba felt a strong impact after the challenging chapter in the pitch.

He said at his presentation, which he began by explaining his tears at signing for Monaco, that “it is all linked.”

“The pitch will go well if the mind is good.” I hope you enjoyed it because it’s very uncommon for me to cry that way. I had a lot of images in mind.

We all know about the doping scandal and my injury, but I was unable to stop myself as a result. A joyous moment occurred.

Pogba has since changed his career and is eager to make a fresh start, clearly after an unpleasant spell in the footballing wilderness.

During my ban, he continued, “I spoke with a number of people who helped me see things in the present and stop worrying about the past or the future.”

Pogba now has additional motivation for his comeback, as well as “more determined”.

He joked, “I wanted my kids to see me on the pitch, but my dream is to see my kids dab one of my goals,” he said.

With France’s performance center just a stone’s throw away from Monaco’s performance center, he couldn’t possibly be in a better place to add to his 91 caps.