Paul Pogba, who is owned by Juventus, said that seeing his four-year ban reduced to 18 months is like 'another lease of life' for his career. He also said that reports of an Olympique Marseille deal are 'not credible'.

The midfielder was handed a lengthy ban after failing a doping test for a Serie A match at the start of the 2023-24 season.

He appealed and got some of the ban reduced, so he'll be back on the pitch in March 2025.

“It’s like I have been given another chance, I got back what had been taken away and provided with a new lease of life,” Pogba told L’Equipe.

“March feels like it’s tomorrow, it’ll come fast and I cannot wait.”

Pogba is ready to return, but will Juventus want him? Juventus have been pretty vague about whether they plan to keep Pogba on once he's available or terminate his contract by mutual consent.

Many think it'll be the latter, in which case he could go to Major League Soccer or come back to France, where Roberto De Zerbi's Olympique Marseille are waiting for him with open arms.

It looks like it's a proposal that his former Juve teammate Patrice 'Uncle Pat' Evra has suggested.

“I laugh, because it is Uncle Pat, he said it as a joke. I am still under contract, so it is not credible,” replied Pogba.

“I already have a club, so I only thinking about returning and getting out of this situation. Of course, nobody knows what tomorrow holds, so never say never.”

“My objective is above all to get back in shape, because I haven’t played for a while. There are other players in the France squad, it’s not like they will just sit back down because Paul Pogba is available. It’s up to me to earn my place.”

Meanwhile, Pogba hasn't been sitting on his laurels. He spoke to L'Équipe at the premiere of a new movie he's in as an actor, called Quatre Zeros.

“Marcus Thuram wrote to me about it, I also exchanged a message with Didier Deschamps, because we had a mutual friend involved in the production.

“Of course I am still in contact with Deschamps, he has always been there and supported me, even before this situation. I am very grateful to him.”