Mbappe is ready to let his PSG contract run out to join Real Madrid; Mbappe’s current deal expires in 2024 and PSG say he must extend or be sold this summer; PSG have left Mbappe out of their pre-season tour to train at their base in Paris; Saudi club Al Hilal among interested clubs
By Kaveh Solhekol, chief reporter for Sky Sports News
14:35, UK, Saturday 22 July 2023
Kylian Mbappe is prepared to sit out an entire season and leave Paris St-Germain on a free next summer after the club put him up for sale on Friday.
Mbappe was not included in the squad for PSG’s pre-season tour to Japan and South Korea, which departs on Saturday, with the club making it clear they only want players on the tour who are committed, want to be at the club and that no player is more important than the club.
However, Mbappe’s immediate reaction to that decision is that he is ready to sit on the bench and not play at PSG until his contract expires next summer.
Being the captain of France and with the European Championship next summer does not change his thinking.
He is willing to dig his heels in and sacrifice a season and there is nothing PSG can do about it. He’s ready to call their bluff and see who blinks first.
Despite PSG’s tough stance, they will ultimately have to pay him his wages and bonus until he leaves for nothing next summer.
PSG are confident Mbappe has already agreed to join Real Madrid on a free transfer next summer, a move seen as a major betrayal after he said he would never leave for free.
The club sought clarity from Mbappe when training resumed this month, but nothing has been communicated from the player.
PSG therefore assume that Mbappe wants to travel for free and that plans for life without him must begin, starting with their pre-season tour of the Far East.
Mbappe is now for sale and the club will engage with suitors, many of whom have been waiting for the development.
Al Hilal is one of the clubs who want to sign Mbappe this summer. Representatives of the Saudi club have been in contact with PSG. They tried to sign Lionel Messi earlier this summer and a source has told us they also held talks with an intermediary about the possibility of signing Tottenham’s Harry Kane.
PSG’s six summer signings will travel to Japan and South Korea with new coach Luis Enrique and the whole positively motivated squad.
Meanwhile, Mbappe has been asked to report for training as normal at the club’s new training ground in Paris while the first-team squad are on tour.
Mbappe will train with other squad members who are not in the club’s plans for next season. He will train in a group of players which includes Georginio Wijnaldum and Julian Draxler.
Analysis: This is a massive £260m pot of money
Sky Sports News’ Kaveh Solhekol:
“PSG feel it’s all about money. They’ve already invested around half a billion pounds in Kylian Mbappe, including what they paid to get him from Monaco and also the wages and all the bonuses they’ve paid him.
“If he stays at PSG for one more year, he will earn more than £100m in wages and bonuses. Then, next summer, when he moves to Real Madrid on a free transfer, Real Madrid will give him a signing fee of £160m. As long as he stays where he is, he stands to earn £260m and massive wages when he moves to Real Madrid.
“PSG are saying, ‘we’re not going to let that happen. We want to sell you now and get a transfer fee – maybe £100m-£150m – and we also want to save paying you another £100m over the next 12 months.
“It’s about power, egos, but really it’s about a huge pot of money.
“PSG feel this is the ultimate betrayal, they feel he is sabotaging the club. They feel he is not a man of his words because he has gone on record in interviews before saying ‘I will never leave PSG for nothing’.
“That’s PSG’s attitude now: the gloves are off, it’s time to act tough. They’ve been messed around by superstar players in the past. They won’t let that happen again. They want him out ASAP.”
What have Al-Khelaifi and Mbappe said about each other?
A statement from Mbappe’s entourage in early June:
“After publicly declaring in recent weeks that he will be Parisian next season, Kylian Mbappe did not ask for his departure this summer, but simply confirmed to the club that he did not activate his extra year.
“The management of the club responsible for its extension (signed on 21 May 2022) was informed of its decision on 15 July 2022 and the sole purpose of the letter was to confirm what had already been verbally clarified previously.
“Mbappe and his entourage claim they have not discussed this point with the club again during the year, except 15 days ago to announce the sending of the letter. Nor is there any mention of a possible new extension.
“Finally, Mbappe and his entourage regret that the receipt of this letter has been transferred to the media and that these exchanges have been published with the sole purpose of damaging his image and the smooth running of talks with the club.”
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi speaking in early July:
“My position is very clear. I will not repeat it every time: if Kylian wants to stay, we want him to stay. But he has to sign a new contract.
“We don’t want to lose the best player in the world for free. We can’t. It’s a French club.
“He said he would never leave for free. If he changes his mind today, it’s not my fault. We don’t want to lose the best player in the world for free, that’s very clear.”
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