Kylian Mbappé made a name for himself while playing for Monaco as a teenager. After being called up for France’s World Cup squad in 2018 – before even turning 18 – his performance put him on the radar of some of the biggest clubs in Europe. At one point, he had to choose between Paris Saint Germain and Real Madrid. He chose the former, first, because it was in his native Paris, and second, because Zidane – then manager of Real – wouldn’t’ve guaranteed him a starting position from the beginning of his time with the club. And the close-to-world-record transfer fee probably had something to do with it, too.
Mbappé: A success story
What followed was a true success story. Whenever Mbappé stepped on the turf, he bent the football betting odds in his team’s favour, no matter if it was PSG or the French national team. In the 80 league games, he has played with the club, the young forward scored almost as many goals.
Since joining PSG, Mbappé helped the team win Ligue 1 three times, made it to UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season thrice, and pretty much everything else he could with the Parisian team.
But his time in Paris seems to come to an end. Or maybe not – time will tell. Mbappé has repeatedly declared his intentions to leave PSG when his contract expires next year – maybe sooner.
A complicated situation
Reports in the press have shown that Mbappé has asked to leave PSG this year. But he is in a sensitive position: his buyout clause is high, and very few – if any – clubs can afford it. 2020 was a bad year for football, leaving gaping holes in the clubs’ purses. So, it was expected that he’ll stay with PSG until his contract expires next year and move on afterwards. Even if the PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said that he’ll never leave the club.
Now it seems that two worthy contenders have emerged. One of them is Real Madrid, once again trying to lure the Frenchman to Spain. Another is reportedly Liverpool FC trying to convince him to cross the Channel. And the third is Paris Saint Germain itself which is said to prepare a mega offer to keep Mbappé in France.
Matching Neymar
The Spanish publication Marca heard that PSG is preparing a “mammoth new contract” to keep the Frenchman in France. The money involved would match the fee paid to Neymar, £27 million a year. Of course, the details of the new offer have not been revealed yet – and we can’t expect the club to reveal anything before discussing them with the player himself. And since he is still on his summer break, it may take a bit of time.
