Paul Pogba pictured watching club owned by Man Utd legend as possible clue given for his next transfer move

2018 World Cup winning midfielder Paul Pogba is reported to be closing on a return to professional football - and it is suspected that a well-renowned Manchester United icon could play an instrumental role in deciding his new team.

Pogba has been without a club since the back end of last year after he agreed to mutually part ways with Italian heavyweights Juventus, in a move which sparked the end of his disastrous second-stint with the Turin-based side.

The 31-year-old has been serving an 18-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance DHEA. Initially, his suspension was set to be four years but on appeal it was acknowledged the Frenchman did not knowingly take the substance which can promote the growth of testosterone. As such, the talented midfielder, who once cost the Red Devils a world-record fee of £89m back in 2016, is free to return to football at the start of March.

Paul Pogba discusses return to football

Paul Pogba has previously told fans that he will return to football "even better" after his ban for taking a prohibited substance, stating that he is driven by "anger" at his absence, which has halted his progress at a key stage of his career.

He told ESPN in October: "For sure. It's going to be a new Pogba. That's definitely for sure. And in the positive way, like I said, with more hunger, with more determination.

"I feel like a kid that just want to be professional again, that never signed professional. So this is the anger I have. That's what drives me. And I will do everything to come back at the level I was before and even better. Why not?"

Pogba, who will be targeting a return to the French national team before the 2026 World Cup, also claimed that he would now see football in a different light and has promised to treasure every second that he spends out on the field.

"When they take something from you that you love so much and that's when you appreciate it the most," he said. "So I see football totally different now, and I will enjoy every moment that I will have until the end of my career.

"Because I see [the ban as] a test, I've tested something like what would happen at the end of your career when you don't play anymore. So I just want to appreciate it, enjoy it and make people enjoy it."

What does the future hold for Paul Pogba?

Paul Pogba is currently a free agent but is expected to have no shortage of offers once his ban comes to an end. Earlier this week, tentative reports from Spanish outlet Fichajes claimed Ruben Amorim was considering bringing Pogba to Old Trafford for a third stint to help his side navigate an injury crisis .The outlet claimed a short-term deal with performance related incentives could be offered to Pogba as a career lifeline.

Whereas reports in France have suggested that Marseille are interested in signing the midfielder in a potential reunion with ex-Red Devils forward Mason Greenwood. However, based on recent social media activity it appears his most likely destination is ambitious MLS side Inter Miami, who are co-owned by United legend David Beckham.

Pogba was pictured in attendance during Inter Miami’s opening MLS game against New York City FC. After the game, Beckham's posted a set of images on Instagram from the clash, including one of Pogba and Serena Williams standing together on the pitch.

The Frenchman has been seen spending a lot of time in the USA in recent months and is a potential target for Beckham’s side, according to Manchester Evening News.

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