D.C. United owns the discovery rights to free agent midfielder Paul Pogba, a team source with knowledge of the arrangement has confirmed to The Athletic.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, also confirmed that the club is in talks over a potential deal for the 32-year-old, who has been seen at several Major League Soccer games — including LAFC’s 1-0 home defeat against Austin in March — since last playing a professional game for Juventus shortly before he was suspended in September 2023.
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D.C. did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Washington Post first reported the news.
MLS discovery rights are a mechanism whereby teams can place up to five players on a list giving them first right to negotiate with said player on a contract to sign in the league. Discovery was created to prevent MLS teams from bidding against each other to drive up the price on potential signings. Because players sign contracts with MLS and then are technically assigned to a team, the process tries to head off the league negotiating against itself for a player. Teams can trade within the league for the discovery rights for a player, but may not negotiate with a player that is on another team’s list.
Pogba has been without a club since leaving Juventus by mutual agreement last November. He was previously banned from all football activity for four years after failing an anti-doping test in September 2023. After an initial suspension, his ban was confirmed in February 2024 but was reduced to 18 months in October.
D.C. United is also interested in a move for Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, whose discovery rights are owned by Inter Miami. The Chicago Fire and NYCFC have also expressed interest in the Premier League great, who announced that he will leave City at the end of this season earlier this month. Pogba has also attended several Miami games since his ban.
Pogba was suspended from all football-related activity after testosterone was detected in a test carried out by Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal (NADO). In October 2024, the Frenchman said he would “give up money” to play for Juventus again, having only made nine appearances for the club after signing from Manchester United in the summer of 2022.
He has been able to return to training since January of this year and able to return to playing competitively since March, when his ban ended.
The MLS transfer window opens again on July 24 but as Pogba is a free agent, he can be signed immediately.
Some star power for D.C.?
D.C. United has been without a star name since the departure of former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney, who spent a memorable stretch at the club as a player and later returned for a disastrous spell as manager.
The club currently has a pair of designated players, though only one — former Belgium international Christian Benteke — plays for the team. Midfielder Mateusz Klich now plays for Atlanta United, with D.C. covering much of his salary and absorbing his designated player slot.
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The club have been connected to several other big names in the past, though that interest has always been preliminary and has rarely materialized, Rooney aside. D.C. is currently 13th in MLS’ 15-team Eastern conference with only two wins from its opening 10 fixtures.
(Photo: Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Pablo Maurer is a staff writer for The Athletic who covers soccer, with a particular focus on the history and culture of the game. His writing and photography have been featured in National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Gothamist and a variety of other outlets. Follow Pablo on Twitter @MLSist
