Rio Ferdinand has urged Manchester United to offer Paul Pogba a route back into football as the midfielder nears the end of his doping ban.

The Frenchman, 31, was handed a four-year suspension – following an initial ban – in March last year, but can now resume playing next month after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced his punishment to 18 months. He is a free agent after his contract with Juventus was terminated in November and is allowed to train until his suspension is served.

Ferdinand reckons Ruben Amorim should offer Pogba the chance to train with the club where he has already had two spells. Speaking on his Rio Ferdinand Presents show, the former United defender said: "I’d say to Pogba, ‘Come in and train with us, let me see what you’ve got’. I’d do that. I would have done that already. Come in and get fit.”

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Ferdinand even suggested United should look at re-signing him, adding: "I’d also have a look [if he’s in a position to be re-signed].”

The prospect of bringing Pogba back would be greeted with a high degree of scepticism following his disappointing second spell at United, who paid Juve £89million for a player they'd let leave for nothing just four years earlier. There have been numerous other examples in United's and football history where romantic returns have turned sour, which should serve as cautionary tales…

Cristiano Ronaldo

The ultimate romantic return gone wrong. There were flashes of the old Ronaldo magic in United red after he returned during Ole Gunnar Solkjaer’s tenure.

But his second spell will instead be remembered for his acrimonious departure following a bust-up with Erik ten Hag and that infamous Piers Morgan interview. Ronaldo will forever be a United legend, but the messy nature of his second departure did his legacy no favours.

Romelu Lukaku

Lukaku wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea at Old Trafford, but it would be harsh to call his two-year spell a failure. The Belgian found the net reasonably regularly, and there was no big financial loss when he was offloaded to Inter Milan in 2019.

Chelsea, on the other hand! Having struggled for first-team opportunities at Stamford Bridge in his younger days, he was signed by Everton, where he was prolific before his spells at United and Inter.

After firing the San Siro giants to the Serie A title, the Blues lavished £97.5m to re-sign Lukaku, who managed just seven goals in his first season before being sent back to Inter on loan. Another loan at Roma followed before Chelsea managed to recoup some of their initial outlay as Napoli paid £30m for the 31-year-old last summer.

Andriy Shevchenko

Another big Chelsea signing that didn’t work out, Ukrainian great Shevchenko arrived from AC Milan, where he holds legendary status, for a British transfer record £31m in 2006.

However, after just nine goals in two seasons for the Blues, he was reunited with Milan on loan. It seemed like a logical move, but Sheva looked a shadow of his former self. He eventually headed back to his homeland with Dynamo Kyiv for the final days of his illustrious career.

Kaka

Like Shevchenko, Kaka is an AC Milan icon - but only thanks to his first spell at the club. He inspired the San Siro side to Champions League glory in 2007 before, like most players of his ilk, heading off to Real Madrid a couple of years later for a world-record fee.

He would be joined by United’s Ronaldo, who overshadowed the Brazilian. After a disappointing four-year spell in the Spanish capital, he returned to Milan hoping to rekindle his old magic. It failed to materialise, though, and after just a year back in Italy, he quit Europe for the Florida sunshine and Orlando City.

Joe Cole

Cole was once touted as English football’s next big thing after emerging from West Ham’s academy, with his style of play leading to comparisons with Paul Gascoigne. Following the Hammers’ relegation in 2003, he moved on to Chelsea, where he won three Premier League titles.

However, injury began to blight his career and spells at Liverpool and Lille were underwhelming. He made an emotional return to West Ham in 2012, but the obvious love between player and club didn’t translate into success on the pitch. His second spell at Upton Park lasted just 18 months before stints at Aston Villa and Coventry to round off a career which never quite fulfilled its potential.