The future of Kylian Mbappe is undoubtedly the biggest story of soccer’s summer off-season, but with Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal said to have had a world record approach for the Paris Saint Germain superstar accepted, it’s clear that this is no ordinary transfer saga.
Mbappe is one of PSG’s biggest stars, but he’ll be out of contract at the end of the forthcoming season and with no sign of him signing a new deal, he’d be able to leave on a free transfer in the summer of 2024.
This scenario would be a major blow for PSG, who’d not only be losing a key asset but also receive no return on the $210m+ they paid for him back in 2018.
With big money like this on the line, the club has started playing hardball. Though he was part of the team that beat French Ligue 2 champions Le Havre in a friendly last Friday (scoring in a 2-0 win) it may be the last game he plays for them.
PSG haven’t selected him for the pre-season tour of Japan and it’s thought he’ll be officially added to their transfer list on July 31st, when the deadline for him to trigger a one-year contract extension expires.
If that does happen, an emerging power on soccer’s global landscape is waiting to pounce.
Will Mbappe sign for Al-Hilal?
In a summer dominated by major movement in the Saudi league, Al-Hilal have reportedly had a $330m+ bid for the player accepted by PSG.
This should come as no surprise – it’s an astronomical sum, far outstripping the world record $220m+ PSG paid for Neymar in 2017, and would give the French club a handsome return.
In addition, Al-Hilal are said to have compiled a wage packet that would be worth around $773m over a year, taking the total for the whole deal up to $1.1bn. However, it’s thought that Mbappe simply isn’t interested and would prefer to join Real Madrid.
This has put other major European clubs on high alert too. Barcelona, for example, are said to be weighing up their options, while Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal are also rumoured to be showing signs of interest.
The smart money remains on Madrid though. The Spanish side have long been interested in Mbappe and have the necessary finances to make a deal worthwhile for PSG. What’s more, Mbappe is an admirer of the club and they’d be able to satisfy his desire to continue making a major impact on world football.
Mbappe: A future GOAT?
Mbappe is one of the biggest players in world football, but at 24 he’s still a rising star with lots of potential to be realised.
He burst onto the global stage at the 2018 World Cup, where he became the youngest French player to score at a World Cup and only the second teenager (after the legendary Pele) to find the net in a World Cup final.
He was the joint second-highest goalscorer at that tournament, going one better in 2022 when his eight goals saw him edge out Messi to win the Golden Boot. He also won the Silver Ball in 2022, with Messi beating him to the title of best player of the tournament.
His time at PSG has been marked by similar success since joining from Monaco in 2018. He’s scored 148 goals in his 176 appearances for the French club and won Ligue 1 in five of his six seasons. He’s also won three Coupe de Frances: in 2017/18, 2019/20 and 2020/21.
The continued transfer saga presents a major frustration for PSG, who have spent the last few seasons trying to build a super-squad that could secure Champions League success. The closest they’ve come in that time is 2019/20, when they lost in the final to Bayern Munich.
Written and distributed by Chat T Sports.
