It appears the World Cup winner's spell at the top level of the game may have reached its end.

Paul Pogba's bid to revive his professional career has hit another obstacle, with AS Monaco reportedly prepared to end the 33-year-old midfielder's contract by mutual consent a little over a year after he joined the club.

As per transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Ligue 1 side have started discussions over a financial settlement that would bring his agreement to an early close, even though it was due to continue until 2027.

The move comes after reports of a fresh thigh injury sustained during pre-season training. Pogba's first campaign after returning from a doping suspension had already been heavily affected by fitness problems.

The French midfielder signed for Monaco in June 2025 on a free transfer, hoping to rebuild his career after completing an 18-month anti-doping suspension.

That punishment was first imposed as a four-year ban in late 2023 after he failed a test for raised levels of DHEA while playing for Juventus. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced the sanction on appeal, allowing him to resume playing in early 2025.

Even so, his time at Monaco has been repeatedly interrupted by physical setbacks. Troubled by knee injuries and recurring muscular issues, the former France international played only 115 official minutes across six substitute appearances in the 2025/26 season.

After managing just 45 minutes in pre-season friendlies this summer, his latest training injury appears to have hastened Monaco's efforts to part ways before the transfer deadline.

Pogba's sharp decline represents a striking fall from grace for one of the most talented midfielders of his generation. He is still Manchester United's record signing, having returned to the Premier League club from Juventus in 2016 for what was then a world-record fee of £89 million (€105m).

At his best, Pogba won four straight Serie A titles with Juventus, scored in the 2018 World Cup Final as France lifted the trophy in Russia, and also won the UEFA Europa League and League Cup with Manchester United.

Since leaving Old Trafford for the second time to rejoin Turin in 2022, his career has been hampered by persistent injury troubles as well as the doping suspension.