Former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna would be happy if Paul Pogba joined the club after his doping ban expires.
Pogba is nearing the end of his 18-month ban after testing positive for the banned substance DHEA in August 2023.
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The Frenchman was initially banned for four years, which was recently reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The former Manchester United and Juventus star can now resume football duties in March 2025 and is already planning a return to the international stage ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Pogba remains under contract with Juventus and is ready to fight for his place upon his return.
However, Juventus has now revised its project and released many of the club’s big earners such as Federico Chiesa and Adrien Rabiot.
Pogba also fits this mold and reports in Italy suggest that Pogba could be the next star to be sacked as part of new coach Thiago Motta’s revolution.
That could open the door for a return to the Premier League, more specifically Arsenal, and Sagna believes the north London club would provide the perfect landing spot for the midfielder.
“It would be great – he has experience; “He loves playing with young players around him – that’s when he’s most efficient,” Sagna said.
“At the 2018 World Cup he was at his most efficient – he had friends around him.
“Arsenal have a young, fresh team and I see him performing in the Arsenal shirt. He will be loved by his fans.”
“Now he can start again. He has had some time away from football and will come back with the desire to get back into a good position and play football again.”
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Pogba spoke last week about the impact of his ban on him and took the opportunity to protest his innocence.
“I’m not a fraudster,” he told Sky Sports. “I take responsibility for taking the supplement, but I have not triple checked it – even if it comes from a professional.”
“If I have to be punished, then I’m okay with it. But it should never have been four years. I accept 12 months.”
“When you see me, you know me. People know me.”
“Even when everything was happening, people said, ‘We know Paul, he would never put up with this. If he had done it, he wouldn’t have known it and it wouldn’t have been intentional.”
“And that is completely the truth. I’m an honest person, that’s what I would say.”
He continued: “I’m not a cheater, I’m someone who loves my sport. I love the game and would never do it. I want to win fairly and people know that.”