Monaco are expected to end Paul Pogba's deal after another thigh injury pushed the club toward an early exit. Pogba collapsed in severe pain during a small-sided training game at St George’s Park, and Monaco had already told him he was free to look for a new club while they worked on a financial agreement over his payout on a deal reported as below £44,000 per week.
Monaco's change of direction
Thiago Scuro did not leave much room for doubt when he spoke to goal.com. “The truth is that the project (with Pogba) did not work well last season. When we started it, the expectations we had were very different. Is he likely to leave? Yes, of course.”
That is not a line about patience running out. It is a club executive describing a signing that has not delivered the return Monaco expected when they brought him in on a two-year deal last summer.
Pogba's own view was more hopeful. “We went through hell. A time of darkness. But this is my second chance, I have to use it,” he said. The problem is that the football has barely had time to breathe. He played just 45 minutes in a friendly against Saint-Priest on July 18 before the latest setback, and he has made only six competitive appearances for Monaco, totalling 115 minutes.
The asterisk pundits raise
There is still a small difference in how the situation is being described. Goal.com and football-italia.net have reported that Monaco are expected to terminate the contract, while the BBC said the two sides were in talks over a possible early exit, with discussions expected to be concluded soon.
The distinction matters because the club have not formally confirmed a termination, and that should keep the language careful. What does not look in doubt is the direction of travel. Monaco had already moved Pogba toward the exit door before this latest injury, and the fresh setback only makes the separation look more likely.
The wider picture is not flattering either. Monaco finished 7th in Ligue 1 in 2025, collected 54 points and ended with a +6 goal difference. Their last five league results were LLDWD. That is not the profile of a side carrying enough momentum to absorb a broken comeback story on top.
Pogba’s Monaco spell was supposed to be about recovery and rhythm after his return to football in March 2025, following the reduction of his doping ban on appeal. Instead, it now looks like a short chapter that never really started. Monaco will still need to settle the exit terms, but the club’s stance has already made the ending fairly clear.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
