Pogba leaving Juventus after contract termination

Juventus will terminate Paul Pogba's contract by mutual consent on Nov. 30, bringing the French midfielder's second spell at the club to an unceremonious end.

"The club wishes Paul the very best for his professional future," Juventus said in a short statement Friday.

Pogba is serving the final months of a doping ban that's sidelined him since September 2023. He's now eligible to return March 11 after the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced his initial four-year ban to 18 months.

Shortly after the ruling, Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli all but confirmed Pogba's time at the club was over, saying the squad is "complete."

"There are times when things do not go as we would like, but one thing is certain: the bond I have with you, dear fans, will remain unforgettable," Pogba, who won four Serie A titles with Juventus before moving to Manchester United in 2016 for a then-world-record transfer fee of €105 million, wrote on Instagram. "You have given me so much, more than I can express in words, and I will always carry with me all the affection you have given me. You will forever be in my heart."

Pogba rejoined Juventus on a free transfer in July 2022 after six up-and-down seasons with United but struggled with knee and hamstring issues, limiting him to just 12 total appearances for Juventus and ultimately forcing him to miss the 2022 World Cup.

Pogba was also the victim of an extortion attempt led by his brother Mathias and held at gunpoint by childhood friends until he agreed to pay them €100,000.

He was then suspended in September 2023 after testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone, a testosterone-enhancing substance on the World Anti-Doping Agency's prohibited list. The 31-year-old strenuously denied ever "knowingly or deliberately" ingesting the substance. His representatives later clarified that the traces in his system had come from a food supplement a U.S. doctor prescribed to him.

Though Juventus initially suspended his estimated €8-million annual salary - instead paying him the league minimum of around €2,000 per month - the club waited until Friday to announce his contract was being terminated. He had another year and a half remaining on his deal.

Pogba told ESPN's Julien Laurens he considered retiring while waiting out the legal process. But he's currently training in Miami amid reports of interest from Major League Soccer and Saudi Pro League clubs.