What's next for Pogba: Drug-ban star faces uncertain future after salary cut

In 2016, Paul Pogba seemed to have the world at his feet after completing a record-breaking transfer back to Manchester United.

Pogba was one of the hottest prospects in football - after his performances at Juventus - and became the most expensive player of all-time after re-joining United for a whopping £89.3 million.

However, things didn't go to plan for the French midfielder who, after six years at Old Trafford, opted for a return to Italy in a bid to recapture his form.

But things went from bad to worse for Pogba, after he failed a drugs test last August and waited five months for a verdict before receiving a huge four-year ban from football on Thursday morning.

Now, the Frenchman faces an important crossroad in his career - with the lengthy ban throwing doubt that he'll ever step foot onto a pitch again.

Pogba's first year back in Turin proved disastrous as he missed the majority of the campaign due to injury.

Pogba started just one game all season after being sidelined with knee, groin and hamstring problems.

He was named on the bench for their opening match of the 2023-24 season, but was an unused substitute in their 3-0 win at Udinese.

Following that match, he returned a test that has led to him receiving a four-year ban. The substance found in his system was DHEA, which can naturally boost levels of testosterone.

Pogba requested for his B-sample to be tested, but this also came back positive in October, leading to Juventus contemplating terminating his contract.

He was adamant from the start that he had no idea how the substance had got into his system and that he had not been looking to gain a sporting advantage.

There was also a previous case in Serie A that suggested Pogba may not receive such a severe sanction.

So, as Pogba awaited a decision, he was tasked with maintaining fitness - despite being banned from the Juventus training ground.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Pogba and his wife Zulay have been living in the mansion of former Juventus player Cristiano Ronaldo, where he's kept training.

Though Pogba has rarely been seen in the house, Ronaldo - who left Juventus to join Man United back in 2021 - shared plenty of snaps while he was living there.

The property, located in Corso Alberto Picco, is made up of two adjacent villas and has plenty of fitness equipment that the midfielder has made use of with his personal staff.

The house features a gym, indoor swimming pool and a large garden where he's been able to maintain his activities and practice football drills.

It's clear that those around Pogba felt as though Juventus star had been working hard in order to be ready for an immediate return to football - which his agent confirmed earlier this month.

Rafaela Pimenta said: 'Pogba could return to the pitch tomorrow: he is ready to any situation, he is a champion even mentally.

'Sometimes I tell him: 'Shall we do something else?', and he gets angry, telling me: 'Rafa! I have to train. You haven't understood: I have to play, I have to win and I have to finish a journey that I started'

'He hasn't behaved irresponsibly, he's training knowing he has to be ready.'

However, despite Pogba's preparations to return to first-team football, the midfielder will spend four-years banned from the sport - which could have huge repercussions.

Firstly, La Gazzetta dello Sport report that Pogba had been forced to take a significant salary cut as he awaited a verdict on the case.

They claim that Pogba has been earning just £1,700-a-month (€2,000) during the last five months. A far cry from the £6.8million-a-season (€8million) he'd expected to earn during his time with Juventus.

He could also, potentially, be set to lose out on some lucrative sponsorship deals, seeing as he'll now be spending a considerable time away from the pitch.

The most notable of his deals is the ten-year sponsorship with Adidas, which he signed in February 2016 for a reported £31million (€40million).

He's also partnered with Wahed Investing but the details of his sponsorship remain unknown.

Mail Sport has reached out to both Adidas and Wahed Investing for comment.

While Pogba may have been focused on a return to football, he's also enjoyed a lifestyle away from the pitch that has seen him attend a number of fashion shows.

The 30-year-old was spotted at the Louis Vuitton Paris Fashion Week show back in June, where he rubbed shoulders with a number of fellow football stars.

The World Cup winner has never shied away from his passion for fashion and regularly shows off his extravagant outfits on his social media pages.

You never know. Maybe if he doesn't return to football, the former most-expensive player on the planet could take up an interest in the fashion world.