Paul Pogba's Monaco experiment is over. The club terminated his contract early on Tuesday, citing objectives that had only been "partially achieved" — which is a polished way of saying almost nothing went to plan.
Six appearances in a Ligue 1 season. Five of them off the bench. That's the full picture for a player who arrived last summer with genuine fanfare, returning to professional football after the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced his doping ban from four years to 18 months in March 2025.
A return that never really happened
Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro was measured in his exit statement: "While the outcome is not what we had hoped for, it should not overshadow the enthusiasm that surrounded his return to club football." That's diplomatic. The reality is that a 33-year-old on a contract through 2027 played fewer competitive minutes than most squad fillers, and the club chose to cut their losses well before that deal expired.
Pogba himself took a warmer tone: "AS Monaco is an incredible club and although I did not play as many games as I had hoped, I will always be grateful for the opportunity to wear their colours." Credit where it's due — he's not burning bridges. But the lack of game time speaks louder than any farewell quote.
MLS is the obvious next step. BBC Sport reports interest from the league, with DC United and Inter Miami both previously linked. At 32 or 33 with a limited recent minutes base, he fits the profile of the marquee signing that American sides chase — name recognition over current form. Inter Miami's odds of landing him will shorten quickly once this move is official, though they'll need to factor in his Champions League ambitions given they're in the competition this season.
The hamstring complicates everything
There's a wrinkle. Pogba picked up a hamstring injury at Monaco's pre-season training camp in England last week. The timing is poor — it delays any new deal and raises the kind of durability questions that have followed him since his Juventus years.
A player who managed six substitute appearances at a mid-table Ligue 1 club and then pulled a hamstring in pre-season training is going to face hard questions from any club medical department. The interest is there. Whether it survives a full fitness assessment is a different matter entirely.
Monaco said they wished him "all the very best for the future." The future, for now, involves a physio table and a flight across the Atlantic — if the hamstring allows it.
