Kylian Mbappe informed Paris Saint-Germain on Monday that he will not be exercising an option to extend his contract until 2025. This has raised the possibility that he may leave the club in the summer of 2018, following in the footsteps of Lionel Messi.
The present contract for the France striker, who is 24 years old, is set to expire at the conclusion of the next season, but there is an extension option for one more year.
If he does not sign, the French champions run the possibility of losing him for free in the following year; hence, they might sell him this summer rather than forego a windfall for one of the finest players in the world if he does not sign.
The news that Kylian Mbappe will not extend his contract with Paris Saint-Germain, which was communicated to the club in a letter and published in the French sports newspaper L’Equipe, comes as a further blow to PSG after Lionel Messi’s departure to Inter Miami.
The deadline for Mbappe to make a decision had been set on the 31st of July, 2023.
Mbappe’s departure comes just a little over a year after he spurned Real Madrid by signing a surprising extension to his contract to stay at the Parc des Princes. This move comes as a result of Mbappe’s desire to play in a more competitive league.
Once again, Real would be the most prominent of his admirers.
When approached late on Monday evening, Mbappe’s entourage did not immediately reply with a response.
It would be disastrous for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) if the striker were to go for no compensation at the conclusion of his current contract in the summer of 2024.
In addition to the hole that would be left in the squad, the club would also lose out on the millions of euros in revenue that would be generated by a move.
The future of Brazilian fellow star striker Neymar, who is under contract until 2025, also looks to be uncertain in front of what is building up to be an eventful summer in the capital of France.
Mbappe moved to Paris Saint-Germain from Monaco in August 2017 on a season-long loan that evolved into a permanent transfer of 180 million euros ($194 million). However, there are growing concerns over his future.
As a youngster, he captained France to victory at the 2018 World Cup, and he has since established himself as possibly the most accomplished striker on the international scene.
Mbappe also scored a hat-trick in France’s loss to Messi and Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final, and he was instrumental in Paris Saint-Germain’s record-setting 11th French championship triumph.
But Mbappe dropped a hint about a potential exit last month, saying that it may be in 2024.
“I have already said that I will be playing for PSG the following year. When questioned about his future at an awards ceremony when he was chosen the Ligue 1 player of the season for the fourth year in a row, he said, “I still have a year of contract so I will honor my contract.”
On Monday, the striker gave off the impression of being calm in Clairefontaine, which is where France is preparing for their upcoming Euro qualifying matches.
During the afternoon training session, he signed hundreds of autographs for fans while laughing and joking with his coach, Didier Deschamps, and fellow striker, Antoine Griezmann. He also participated in the session.
Despite the fact that they won the French championship, the Qatari owners of the club had a difficult season both on and off the field, and the news that Mbappe intended to go with PSG was yet another source of frustration for them.
Following yet another elimination from the Champions League, the team is now searching for a new coach to take over from Christophe Galtier.
PSG’s elimination from the Champions League by Bayern Munich in the round of 16 and their elimination from the French Cup in the same round both contributed to the widespread perception that the season was a failure.
Since his transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for a then-world-record sum of 222 million euros, the Brazilian forward Neymar’s health has been a consistent source of worry for the French club.
He has scored 118 goals for PSG in 173 appearances, however he has missed more than 100 games due to injury or suspension. He has played in 173 games for PSG.