It just wouldn’t be a summer transfer window without Kylian Mbappe positioning himself in the centre of the footballing universe.
In 2021, Mbappe was strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid but stayed at Paris Saint-Germain; in 2022, Mbappe was strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid but stayed at PSG and signed a new contract; in 2023, Mbappe is being linked with a move to Real Madrid or the Premier League and maybe this time he will finally leave PSG.
On Monday night, L’Equipe reported that the 24-year-old is unwilling to extend his contract with the Ligue 1 club, which effectively forces them into adopting one of two positions: sell him for a transfer fee this summer or lose him for nothing in 2024.
Qatari-backed PSG have the financial muscle to cope with their most valuable asset moving on a free transfer, but the reputational damage would be huge.
Unless this is another act of brinkmanship on Mbappe’s part to increase his clout and leverage at the club, PSG will have to sell him before the transfer window shuts on 1 September.
The fact that Mbappe has gone with public with his intentions is unsurprising given that is what he tends to do, but what has come as a surprise is the nature of the contract that he signed just over 12 months ago.
On 23 May 2023, Mbappe and PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi posed for pictures at the club’s Parc des Princes stadium after his new deal had been confirmed.
Mbappe held a PSG shirt aloft with the number “2025” printed on the back, indicating the three-year term of his extended contract.
A club statement read: “Paris Saint-Germain is delighted to announce that Kylian Mbappe has signed a three-year contract extension with the club. The France international striker has put pen to paper on a new deal with the Parisians until 30 June 2025.”
There must have been insufficient character space to include the small print.
It is now clear that Mbappe agreed to a two-year fixed term, taking him until the end of the 2023-24 campaign, with an option to extend by an additional season.
The France international captain has until 31 July this year to opt into that extension, meaning this saga could yet drag out for another six weeks.
PSG could have a completely revamped frontline next season if Mbappe gets his wish. Lionel Messi has already agreed to join Inter Miami, while they are also understood to be willing to listen to offers for Neymar.
Where could Mbappe go?
Real Madrid has long been assumed to be Mbappe’s next destination. The Spanish giants reportedly made three offers for Mbappe in 2021, including a £171m bid on deadline day, which were all rejected by PSG and were confident of acquiring him on a Bosman deal last year before his unforeseen contract U-turn.
Mbappe’s decision to reject Real last summer sparked acrimony in Spain, with La Liga releasing a furious statement accusing PSG of “attacking the economic sustainability of European football” and putting “sporting integrity at risk”.
They also vowed to file a complaint to Uefa, the administrative and tax authorities in France and European Union.
It doesn’t seem as though that will put Real off trying for Mbappe for the third time in as many years, however. There have been reports that Mbappe personally contacted the club’s president Florentino Perez to apologise for how last year’s saga played out.
Kylian Mbappe’s next club odds
- Real Madrid – 8-11
- Stay at PSG – 6-4
- Man Utd – 8-1
- Man City – 20-1
- Newcastle – 20-1
- Liverpool – 25-1
- Bayern Munich – 33-1
Odds via Sky Bet and correct as of 13 June
With Real already sanctioning a £115m deal for Jude Bellingham, it seems likely that any move for Mbappe would bring an end to their summer spending.
That could have a knock-on effect for Tottenham striker Harry Kane‘s future, who had been earmarked as a potential Karim Benzema successor, following the Frenchman’s move to Saudi club Al-Ittihad.
According to the bookies, Real are the overwhelming favourites to sign Mbappe this summer but if a move to the Bernabeu fails to materialise, he is likelier to stay in Paris than move elsewhere.
Manchester United are deemed to be next in the queue, although their interest is surely reliant upon being taken over by Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani.
Reports in Qatar claim that a deal is close, which could boost United’s prospects of bringing Mbappe to England.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/lHp9SiN
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