What will Kylian Mbappé do when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires in June?
Paris Saint-Germain would like to know, Real Madrid would like to know, and so would the legions of fans at other major European clubs who dream of seeing the French striker playing in their colours.
But Mbappe remains tight-lipped as the saga surrounding his potential transfer continues and Paris Saint-Germain seeks to keep hold of their star player.
“He made it clear that he has an agreement with me,” Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi told L'Equipe this week, without being more specific about the nature of the deal.
“We have a great relationship, he is the best player in the world. I will not hide the fact that I want to keep him,” Al-Khelaifi said. “I am confident because the best place for him is Paris, as a French player, as captain of the national team, and vice-captain of Paris Saint-Germain, where he was there.” For seven years. He has the ambition to do great things with Paris.
Details of the supposed deal reached between Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain were not revealed. According to reports in French media, Mbappe has agreed to forego several financial bonuses if he joins another club, meaning he will not leave Paris Saint-Germain for free.
Mbappe has been in a similar situation before, causing PSG to wait until the end of his then-contract before signing a new contract in May 2022 when Real Madrid were aggressively pursuing him.
He said he did not know when he would be ready to announce his decision this time.
Asked if Mbappé had explained why it took him so long to make the decision, Al-Khelaifi brushed off the concerns.
“We are calm. I have 200% confidence in him. He is a good boy. He gave me his word and he is a man of his word. I believe in him,” said the Paris Saint-Germain president. “I can only say that I am not nervous. Financially and about Kilian.”
Mbappé caused a stir last summer by refusing to sign a 12-month extension and was briefly sidelined by Paris Saint-Germain amid a contract dispute. Tensions have since eased, and the French star was allowed to speak to clubs in January and sign a pre-contract agreement.
If he leaves, Real Madrid is the most likely destination after the Spanish club twice failed in previous bids to sign him, with Liverpool also reported to be in talks with the striker.
While Paris Saint-Germain seeks to achieve its as-yet unfulfilled dream of winning the Champions League, Mbappe focused on his goals for the current season rather than speculating about his next move in his rare public comments.
“I'm very excited about this season. It's very important, we have titles to win. Beyond that, no, I haven't made my decision,” Mbappe said.
The French striker started the new year on the right foot. He scored to help Paris Saint-Germain win the first title of the French season with a 2-0 win over Toulouse in the Champions Cup, then scored a hat-trick against a lower-tier team in a French Cup match last weekend.
Paris Saint-Germain's next match will be held in Lens on Sunday as the league resumes after the winter break. Paris Saint-Germain is five points ahead of Nice, who will visit Rennes on Saturday. Third-placed Monaco hosts Reims.
In addition to Mbappe's future, Paris Saint-Germain added its concerns ahead of the Champions League round of 16 meeting with Real Sociedad next month after defender Milan Skriniar injured his left ankle and needed surgery.
Paris Saint-Germain appointed an additional defender during the January transfer window with the arrival of 20-year-old Brazilian Lucas Peraldo. Meanwhile, the expected arrival of highly-rated Corinthians midfielder Gabriel Moscardo has been postponed due to a left foot injury.
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