Guardiola ‘Remains An Admirer’ Of Ex-United Player Who Has Been ‘Sounded Out’ Over Shock City Move

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola would be open to signing former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba on a free transfer, according to The Independent.

The Premier League champions are light of options in midfield, with Rodri sidelined for the rest of the season, and Pogba is being considered as a potential short-term solution.

Pogba is a free agent and the Cityzens are seriously exploring a move for the midfielder, who left Old Trafford in the summer of 2022.


The Independent claims that the World Cup Winner has already been “sounded out”, going on to suggest that Guardiola “remains an admirer” of the player’s abilities, having looked at signing him for City in the past.

Why is Pogba available on a free transfer?

The 31-year-old was let go by his last club Juventus at the end of November after he failed a drug test.


Pogba was initially given a four-year ban by the Italian Anti-Doping National Tribunal after non-endogenous testosterone was discovered in two blood samples. However, the ban length was reduced on appeal by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

It means that the midfielder can start training at the beginning of next month before returning to competitive action in March.

City will be looking at other midfielders

Considering Pogba won’t be available for several months, he is unlikely to be the only player that the club are targeting ahead of the January transfer window. Guardiola desperately needs more energy and legs in the middle of the park.

The likes of Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes and Atalanta’s Ederson have been heavily linked with moves to the Etihad but it remains to be seen whether the Cityzens are prepared to spend substantial sums to reinforce the midfield in January or whether they will wait until the summer.

Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here

Shots TV Logo
David Tully

David Tully

David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World's Football News Network.