This summer, everyone is wondering whether or not Kylian Mbappe will remain with Paris Saint-Germain. Would it be possible for him to sign a new deal with the French champions?
After the France superstar announced that he will not exercise a provision that would extend his current agreement with PSG until 2025, AFP Sport takes a look at all of the possibilities that are available to him now that he will be a free agent in the following year.
Or take it as the final decision?
The decision of the 24-year-old player to sign a new agreement with PSG in May of the previous year, only a few days before the expiration of his previous contract, came as a surprise to everyone.
While the player was posing with a jersey that said “Mbappe 2025” on the back, PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi made the announcement on the field at Parc des Princes ahead to the team’s final match of the 2021/22 season.
The club said at the time that Mbappe had extended his contract for a total of three years, but in truth, he had only agreed to a two-year extension (which would take him up to 2024), with the option of a third year that the player himself may decide whether or not to take advantage of.
Mbappe indicated in a letter that he will not use that option, which he sent to the club on Monday.
The fact that Mbappe announced his choice in advance of a deadline that was set for July 31 to do so might be viewed as a definite decision, and it is possible that he will not alter his mind again in the future.
However, it might also be interpreted as part of a power struggle between Mbappe and PSG in which Mbappe is attempting to secure fresh assurances regarding the squad that PSG will field in the next season as well as perhaps more money.
Will PSG sell?
The management of PSG made their displeasure known on Monday night after the letter that Mbappe had just given them was published without their permission. The organization swiftly communicated that they would not allow themselves to be influenced in any way by a player, not even their most prominent or valued player.
If Mbappe remains with the club for one more year without reaching an agreement on a new contract, the club’s attitude seems to be that they will not let him depart for free in 2024. This will be the case if he does not sign a new deal during that time.
That leaves two choices: either enter into new contract negotiations or sell the player to the highest bidder during the current transfer window, which will remain open until the beginning of the next season and will conclude on September 1.
However, the player stated in a statement that he had never considered extending his contract with the club. He also added that he had maintained “publicly in recent weeks that he would be a PSG player next season,” and that he had “not asked to leave this summer.” The statement was delivered to AFP on Tuesday.
What is Mbappe’s current market value?
Mbappe moved to Paris Saint-Germain from Monaco in August 2017 on a loan for the remainder of the season. This loan was converted into a permanent transfer the following year in a transaction for 180 million euros ($195 million).
The player who won the World Cup in 2018 and who scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final last year despite France’s loss to Argentina on penalties would fetch an astronomical transfer price if Paris Saint-Germain were to sell him at this point in time.
Real Madrid allegedly made an offer of 200 million euros to purchase Kylian Mbappe’s services from Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, the year when Mbappe was about to reach the last year of his previous deal.
Mbappe’s current worth is estimated to be 180 million euros by the specialized website Transfermarkt. It is difficult to envisage PSG agreeing to sell their superstar for less than what they spent for him when they first acquired him.
The only player who has ever been purchased for a higher price was Neymar, who was purchased by Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona for a record 222 million euros in 2017, only a few weeks before they recruited Mbappe.
Where would he be able to go?
Given that Real Madrid has been interested in signing Mbappe ever since he was a young player, the Spanish powerhouse club is a logical choice for Mbappe’s next club. Florentino Perez, the president of Real, was approached by a fan in the street over the weekend and asked whether he was going to sign Mbappe. His response was “Yes, but not this year.”
As a result of Karim Benzema’s decision to relocate to Saudi Arabia after playing for Madrid for the last 14 years, Real Madrid now has the opportunity to pursue the signing of a new striker. On Tuesday, the photograph of Mbappe that was featured on the top page of the Spanish sports newspaper Marca. The headline read, “He is back within reach,” and it was accurate.
However, it remains to be seen whether Real could afford to fork out the required sum after already agreeing to pay Borussia Dortmund just over 100 million euros for England midfielder Jude Bellingham. Real has already agreed to pay Borussia Dortmund just over 100 million euros for Bellingham.
Given the wealth of the top teams in the Premier League, England is the only other country that may provide Mbappe with a genuine opportunity to play at the highest level.