Paul Pogba injured himself in a training ground small-sided game on Tuesday. That sentence, more than anything, explains why AS Monaco are terminating his contract.
The club had already made their decision weeks earlier — informing the 33-year-old that they intended to cut ties and giving him permission to find a new club. The left thigh injury he picked up this week didn't change the outcome. It just removed any remaining ambiguity about whether they were doing the right thing.
Six appearances, one fresh start, zero momentum
Pogba joined Monaco on a two-year deal in June 2025, roughly 18 months after his doping ban was reduced on appeal. The move was framed as a reset — a player who had been through genuine professional chaos landing somewhere he could rebuild quietly, away from the noise of England or Turin.
Instead, he made six appearances last season. His entire pre-season contribution this summer amounted to 45 minutes — the second half of a 5-2 win over Saint-Priest on July 18. A right knee problem then wiped out the next four friendlies. He returned to full training last Friday. By Tuesday, he was injured again.
Monaco will now negotiate a financial settlement and pay out the remainder of his salary. The contract was due to expire next summer, so they're not walking away from a long-term commitment — but paying a player who can't stay fit long enough to feature in pre-season is a drain no club should absorb indefinitely.
MLS as the next chapter
According to the Daily Mail, Pogba has already been offered to Major League Soccer clubs. That's where this ends up for a lot of European careers at this stage, and there's no shame in it — but the gap between where Pogba was at 25 and where he is now is stark enough to sit with for a moment.
He was a World Cup winner. A player who commanded transfer fees that reshaped the market. Someone whose shirt sold in volumes that most footballers never approach. Now clubs are being offered him speculatively, hoping someone bites.
Whether Pogba's body can hold together for an MLS campaign — a league with a long, demanding schedule and an unforgiving travel calendar — is a genuine question. His last meaningful run of fitness was years ago. The thigh injury this week came during a training exercise, not a match.
Monaco's decision is the right one. The harder question is whether any decision at all can change what's happening to Pogba physically — and on current evidence, there's no obvious answer.
