AS Monaco CEO signals Paul Pogba could be shown the exit this summer

AS Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro has publicly acknowledged that Paul Pogba’s time at the Ligue 1 club could end this summer, saying the midfielder’s 2025-26 season fell short of expectations.

Pogba joined Monaco as a free agent in July 2025 on a two-year contract running through June 2027, arriving after serving an 18-month doping suspension.

Six appearances and a whole lot of questions

Injuries have gutted Pogba’s comeback season. Calf and thigh problems have limited him to just six appearances across the entire 2025-26 campaign, with some of those outings amounting to roughly 30 minutes of pitch time.

Scuro has indicated that summer 2026 will bring a formal review of Pogba’s future at the club.

The situation is made more awkward by reports that Pogba’s signing wasn’t driven by Monaco’s sporting directorate at all. Instead, club owner Dmitry Rybolovlev was reportedly the key advocate for bringing the Frenchman to the Principality.

The wage bill problem

Monaco is actively working to trim its wage bill, and Pogba sits squarely at the center of those discussions.

Monaco built its modern identity on developing and selling players at a profit. Pogba represents the opposite model: a high-cost, high-risk bet on name recognition and past glory.

Scuro’s public comments suggest the club has reached the point where the sunk cost of the signing is no longer enough to justify running through the final year of the deal.

What this means for the broader market

The 18-month doping ban meant Pogba was essentially out of competitive football for a year and a half before arriving in the Principality.

A move to a lower-profile league, perhaps the Saudi Pro League, MLS, or a return to Serie A at a smaller club, seems more plausible than another top-five-league opportunity at a Champions League contender.

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