Paul Pogba Monaco contract is set to end after an injury-hit season in which the former France star made six appearances and played 115 minutes

AS Monaco are preparing to terminate Paul Pogba’s contract in Monaco, France, on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, bringing the 33-year-old former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder’s difficult return to top-level football closer to an abrupt end after just six appearances in his first season with the Ligue 1 club.

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The development follows a fresh injury setback for Pogba, who suffered a thigh problem during Monaco’s pre-season training in England on Tuesday.

However, reports from France indicate that the club had already decided to part ways with the midfielder before the latest injury.

Monaco are now expected to negotiate a financial settlement with Pogba, with the club understood to be prepared to pay outstanding salary owed under his existing agreement. The aim is reportedly to reach an agreement before the September 1 transfer deadline.

The proposed departure represents a disappointing conclusion to what was intended to be a significant comeback for the 2018 World Cup winner.

Pogba joined Monaco as a free agent in June 2025 after his doping suspension had been reduced from four years to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The reduction allowed him to resume competitive football after a lengthy absence.

His arrival in the Principality was initially viewed as an opportunity to rebuild a career that had been severely disrupted by suspension and recurring physical problems.

Pogba signed a two-year contract with Monaco, giving him the chance to return to Ligue 1 and compete regularly again after spending more than two years away from competitive football.

The comeback, however, never gathered the momentum expected.

Pogba made only six Ligue 1 appearances during the 2025-26 season and accumulated 115 minutes, starting just one match.

A succession of calf, thigh and ankle problems prevented him from establishing any consistent run of football.

His limited involvement also ended hopes of forcing his way back into the France squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Despite his previous importance to Didier Deschamps’ side, Pogba’s lack of regular football left him outside the tournament squad.

There had already been clear signs that Monaco were reconsidering their plans before the latest injury.

Monaco general manager Thiago Scuro acknowledged in July that Pogba’s future was uncertain, saying the club’s expectations had not been met during the midfielder’s first season.

“The project with him didn’t work out,” Scuro said, while also stressing that Monaco retained respect for Pogba and that the relationship between the player and club remained open.

Scuro’s comments were significant because Pogba’s original move had been presented as a carefully considered attempt to give the midfielder the environment required to regain his fitness and rediscover his best football.

Instead, his physical condition became the defining feature of his season.

The latest setback has therefore accelerated an exit that was already being considered.

According to reports from Nice-Matin, Monaco informed Pogba several weeks ago of the intention to terminate his contract, with the new thigh injury reinforcing a decision that had effectively already been made.

For Pogba, the timing is particularly difficult. The midfielder had returned to group training only days before the latest injury after recovering from another physical problem.

His pre-season involvement had already been restricted, with the player featuring for only part of Monaco’s opening friendly before missing subsequent matches.

The proposed termination would leave Pogba without a club once the financial agreement with Monaco is completed.

It also raises fresh questions about where his career goes from here. At 33, Pogba remains one of the most recognisable French midfielders of his generation, but his recent playing record is starkly different from the period when he was considered among Europe’s elite.

Pogba rose to prominence at Juventus before returning to Manchester United in 2016 for a then-world-record transfer fee for a player.

He later returned to Juventus in 2022, but his second spell in Turin was heavily affected by injuries and eventually overshadowed by the doping case that led to his suspension.

The doping suspension itself was reduced after the CAS accepted that Pogba’s ingestion of DHEA was not intentional.

The ruling allowed him to return to training in January 2025 and competitive football two months later.

That decision offered the midfielder a route back into professional football, and Monaco appeared to provide the platform for a fresh start.

But the numbers tell a sobering story. Six appearances and 115 minutes across an entire Ligue 1 campaign were nowhere near enough for Pogba to regain rhythm, build match fitness or convince Monaco that their two-year project could deliver the anticipated revival.

There is also a financial dimension to Monaco’s decision. The club has been managing wage considerations under French football’s financial regulations, with Scuro previously acknowledging that highly paid players could leave as the club reshaped its squad.

For Monaco, the decision is therefore both sporting and strategic. The club can now redirect a squad place and salary commitment towards players capable of contributing more consistently, while Pogba must consider the next stage of a career that has repeatedly been interrupted by circumstances beyond his control.

For the midfielder, however, the Monaco chapter does not necessarily have to mark the end.

Pogba has previously spoken about his desire to return to the highest level and revive his international ambitions.

Before the 2026 World Cup, his focus remained on regaining full fitness and reaching the level required to compete for France again.

Whether another club is prepared to make a similar gamble remains uncertain.

What once looked like a promising “Pogback” has instead become another painful setback in a career that has contained extraordinary highs and difficult interruptions.

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Monaco’s decision may close one chapter, but it could still leave Pogba with one final challenge: proving that his football story has not yet reached its final page.