Paul Pogba‘s hopes of playing for Juventus again took a hit on Saturday when the club’s director Cristiano Giuntoli said that the Serie A side are complete without him.

The 31-year-old midfielder, who has a contract with Juve until June 2026, will end his doping ban in March after testing positive for DHEA in September 2023, a banned substance that boosts testosterone levels.

The former France international had his ban cut earlier this month from an initial four years to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and will be eligible to play for Juve as soon as the ban ends.

“Our position is clear. Pogba has been a great player, he has been out for a long time and last year we were forced to invest in other players,” Giuntoli told DAZN ahead of the club’s home match against Lazio.

“So now the squad is complete as it is.”

ESPN reported last week that Pogba could become a free agent after opening talks with Juventus with a view to terminating his contract. A source told ESPN that both Pogba and Juventus are open to the prospect of him restarting his career elsewhere.

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.