Kylian Mbappe has told Paris Saint-Germain that he wants to leave the club and is prepared to see the final year of his contract to leave a free transfer if needed.
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Mbappe is being chased by Real Madrid, who have been preparing for this moment for what feels like an eternity. However, Los Blancos are keen to maintain their relationship with PSG and will not move for Mbappe until the French side confirm he can leave.
So far, that confirmation has not come. PSG are ready to dig in their heels and have warned Mbappe that he will not be sold this summer, and according to L’Equipe, the 22-year-old has made it clear that he will hang on and leave a free one next summer.
Mbappe is reluctant to make a scene and publicly demand an exit, as he knows there is a chance that Real can not afford him anyway in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, but he has made it clear that it would be in PSG It’s best to sell him while they still can.
However, PSG have none of that. They are convinced that Mbappe will not be sold this summer and are prepared to take the risk of letting him approach the last six months of his contract in the hope that they can convince him to stay.
PSG are prepared to risk losing Mbappe / Marcio Machado / Getty Images
It is obviously a risky strategy, but it can pay off. We saw Manchester United do this exact thing with goalkeeper David de Gea in 2019, and refused to sell him to Madrid in the summer and managed to win him a few months later.
PSG hopes for the same result. President Nasser Al-Khelaifi has personally taken control of the negotiations after being frustrated by the lack of progress from sports director Leonardo, who L’Equipe believes focused too much on money and not enough on convincing Mbappe of the club’s sports project.
There are fears that Leonardo may have frustrated Mbappe so much that a turnaround is now impossible, but Al-Khelaifi is willing to try and believes that he has already shown his intentions by already financing a large summer expense.
Al-Khelaifi has become involved in the situation / John Berry / Getty Images
Georginio Wijnaldum has agreed a free transfer and is expected to be followed by former AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, while Inter right-back Achraf Hakimi is on his way to a £ 60m move to the Parc des Princes as well.
The hope is that Mbappe will see how determined PSG is to win the Champions League and decide to sign a new contract, but the French team only has five months to convince him before he can talk to new clubs.
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