Pogba and Juventus agree to terminate contract

Paul Pogba's doping ban stemmed from his test results following a match against Udinese on 20 August 2023

Paul Pogba will leave Juventus on 30 November after agreeing a mutual termination of his contract.

The 31-year-old was given a four-year ban in February for a doping offence - but in October that was reduced to 18 months, starting from his initial provisional ban in September 2023.

Sources close to Pogba told BBC Sport he can resume training in January and will be eligible to play again from March.

The France midfielder will now be free to join a new club in the January transfer window.

"The club wishes Paul the very best for his professional future," said Juventus.

Pogba said: "It has been a privilege to pull on the shirt of the Bianconeri and to share so many special moments together.

"I cherish the memories we made. They live on.

"Even in the most difficult moments over the past year, your support was crucial and I want to thank Juve fans around the world for their compassion.

"I am looking forward to the next chapter of my career and to stepping out on the pitch with my next club."

Before the ban Pogba had been earning £6.9m a year at the Italian club on a contract running until June 2026.

Juventus were thought to have cut his salary to about £2,000 a month, as part of a collective agreement between clubs and the players' union.

Pogba has not played much football in recent years. He managed just 162 minutes across five appearances during the 2022-23 season, and had played a total of 51 minutes as a substitute last season before his suspension.

The ban reduction - and now his exit from Juventus - gives him the chance to restart his career next year.

Pogba started out at Manchester United before moving to Juventus, where he won Serie A in each of his first four seasons - including two Doubles.

He then returned to Old Trafford for a world-record £89m in 2016, and in his first season won the Europa League and FA Cup.

Pogba, who has 91 caps for France, then helped Les Bleus to 2018 World Cup glory, scoring in the final as they beat Croatia 4-2 in Russia.

Injuries and a lack of form interrupted his final three seasons at Manchester United, and he failed to excel on his return as a free agent to Juve.