Paul Pogba's quest to resurrect his football career following an 18-month ban for doping took a strange twist this week after the directors of an escort agency in Brazil said they wanted to help finance a deal to bring him to Corinthians in Sao Paulo.
Pogba, 31, has been linked with several clubs since the Italian giants Juventus said last month that they no longer wanted his services when his punishment ends next March.
The Fatal Model agency said on social media that it was in talks with Corinthians to land the midfielder.
"Can you imagine seeing the French star wearing the Timão shirt?" said the message referring to one of the club's nicknames. "Our proposal is to help make this dream come true."
The club, founded in 1910 by five railway workers who saw a game of London-based Corinthian FC during their tour of Brazil, has become one of the most successful sides in the country.
On Tuesday, club executives confirmed they had been contacted by the agency.
"No negotiations are underway," said a post on social media. "The club thanks the company for its interest," it added.
Pogba rose to prominence at Manchester United as a teenager but frustrated by his lack of opportunities he moved to Juventus in 2012.
During his four years in the Italian top flight he won eight trophies including four Serie A titles. He returned to Manchester United in 2016 for a world record transfer fee of 105 million euros.
In his first season back in north-western England, he won the League Cup and the Europa League.
Return
In 2018, he was a key feature in the France side that surged to glory at the World Cup in Russia. His sumptuous strike gave France a 3-1 lead in the 4-2 victory over Croatia in the final.
Three years later, he hoisted more silverware after France won the 2021 Nations League.
Pogba moved back to Juventus in the summer of 2022 but his second turn in Turin was instantly blighted by a series of injuries before he was suspended in September 2023 for failing a drugs test on 20 August after a Serie A match against Udinese.
The Italian Anti-Doping National Tribunal slapped a four-year ban on Pogba in February 2024 but it was reduced to 18 months at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Pogba can officially resume training next month and play competitively from March.
