TURIN, Oct 20 — Paul Pogba's career at Juventus looked over yesterday after the Serie A club's sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli said their squad was complete ahead of the France midfielder's return from a doping ban.
France's Pogba can play again in March as his four-year suspension was slashed to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport a fortnight ago.
But Giuntoli all-but confirmed Pogba had no future in Turin by saying there was no room for the 31-year-old in the current squad.
"Our position is very clear. Paul was a great player but he's been out of action for a long time," Giuntoli told DAZN before yesterday's home fixture against Lazio.
"Last year and this year we were forced to invest in other players, and right now the squad is complete."
Pogba told Gazzetta Dello Sport during a round of interviews — apparently not authorised by Juve — on Wednesday he wants to stay even at the cost of cutting his weighty salary.
Since being provisionally suspended in September last year Pogba has been stuck on a minimum wage of just over 2,000 euros (US$2,166) a month.
But his contract, which expires in June 2026, is reportedly worth eight million euros a year plus a potential further two million euros in bonuses.
Italian press have reported Juventus are seeking to terminate Pogba's contract after revamping the squad for new coach Thiago Motta.
Juve, who posted losses of nearly 200 million euros for last season, kicked off against Lazio fourth in Serie A, three points behind league leaders Napoli. — AFP
