Monaco ‘Looking to Offload Paul Pogba’ After Just 3 Matches

Paul Pogba returned to professional football when he put pen to paper on a two-year deal for Ligue 1 outfit AS Monaco in the summer of 2025 following an 18-month doping suspension, but reports have claimed that his Stade Louis II career could already be coming to an end following a series of injuries.

In September 2023, while playing he was on the books of Juventus, the Frenchman tested positive for DHEA – a prohibited hormone which can boost testosterone – and was suspended from football with immediate effect.

Pogba considered retiring from football as a result of his initial four-year ban, which was subsequently reduced to 18 months in October 2024 following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but he was cheered onto the pitch as he made his Monaco debut, a five-minute cameo against Stade Rennais in November 2025.

Pogba’s Monaco Struggles: Reports Suggest the Midfielder’s Future Could Lie Elsewhere

Just months after signing on the dotted line, though, things haven’t gone to plan for the ex-Manchester United star, who was once one of the best central midfielders in the world. It’s a sad fall from grace for a player as gifted and talented as the rangy France international – and a chance to feature under Didier Deschamps at the impending World Cup is seemingly off the cards… unless he experiences an upturn in minutes and form.

Since getting back on the pitch after a year-and-a-half away, Pogba has struggled to find the consistency that he wanted (and what was expected of a player of his calibre) and his future may lie elsewhere.

Pogba, whose 33rd birthday is on 15 March, has accrued just 30 minutes of action (across three appearances) for his current employers as he’s struggled to find a necessary level of match fitness. Alongside that, three separate injury issues – his thigh, his ankle and then his calf – have also stunted his ability to reintegrate into proceedings.

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The return of the elegant central midfielder, who once turned out for the likes of United and Juventus at the apex of his powers, has not been as fruitful as expected – and Monaco are reportedly now looking for opportunities to offload the one-time World Cup winner with France.

“As expected. This guy is not serious and Monaco bringing him in was very surprising,” one said in response, while another was more sympathetic. “I’ve been dreading this. Injuries suck man,” they wrote as a third user on Reddit added: “Crazy to think, four years ago, he rejected a £300k-per-week extension from United.”

Previously, Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro openly acknowledged that Pogba’s return to his homeland is yet to bear fruit. “The plan put in place since Paul [Pogba] arrived is not working as expected,” he claimed on January 14 before adding, “He is deeply affected by how difficult it has been to be available and increase his playing time.”

Scuro insisted that, although his hopes remain cautious at the time of writing, the staff at Monaco and Pogba are working hard to find solutions. “Either it works, and he’ll soon be back on the pitch to make an impact, or it doesn’t,” he said, per Le Monde.

“The parties can sit down this summer to discuss what’s next,” the executive added, even though Pogba’s contract officially runs until the summer of 2027. The statistics speak for themselves: Pogba is yet to feature in Monaco’s 2025/26 Champions League campaign and has played only 30 minutes in total – which is a far cry from the hopes sparked by his recruitment by Monaco.

Pogba Left out of Champions League Squad

It’s not been a good start to life for Pogba at Monaco and things took another turn for the worse in early Febuary when it was confirmed that he’d been left out of the team’s Champions League squad. He had been part of their Euopean roster for the league phase of the competition but seeminly won’t play any part in the knockout stages.

As per RMC Sport, amid his fitness issues, the Frenchman Pogba is one of three players Monaco have decided to remove from their Champions League squad for their two-legged play-off with Paris Saint-Germain. Former Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu and ex-Liverpool attacker Takumi Minamino also make way due to injuries of their own, with Krepin Diatta, Wout Faes and Simon Adingra drafted in.

Monaco director Thiago Scuro noted: “Medical staff is focussed on finding solutions, first so that he returns to the field before the matches. Paul continues to recover from his calf injury.”

Pogba’s World Cup Hopes are Diminishing By The Second

I think we can all agree on something: a fully-fit Pogba is good for football. A maverick of sorts, fans became accustomed to watching the midfielder, with the brute strength of an ox but the elegance of a gazelle, dance round engine rooms in Europe – and it was extremely fun to watch, especially when he was at his pomp.

That notion rings true on the international stage: he became the youngest player (29) to reach 90 appearances for the French national team and was part of Deschamps’ success story in Russia when they defeated Croatia 4-2 in the final.

Could there be space for Pogba in the current France midfield? Of course. Including a player with such a pedigree on that very stage would be wise but, for now, there isn’t a chance. The likes of Aurelien Tchouameni, Manu Kone, N’Golo Kante and Eduardo Camavinga all provide the 32-year-old with plenty of competition and with a very limited number of minutes under his belt so far this season, his World Cup chances are diminishing by the second.

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“If I’m not fit, if I play poorly and don’t perform well for Monaco, I have to forget about the French team,” Pogba himself admitted in November following his Monaco debut. “He has the ability to return to his best,” Deschamps said in a press conference in March 2025, though he added a note of caution: “It’s not going to happen with the snap of a finger.”

All statistics per Transfermarkt – correct as of 28/01/2026