Transfer news: Kylian Mbappe faces an uncertain future at Paris Saint-Germain with some of Europe's top dogs including Chelsea and Real Madrid queuing up for the chance to secure his signature
Kylian Mbappe could be set to follow former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Lionel Messi to the United States. The Frenchman's future is still yet to be resolved with PSG looking to sell the 24-year-old superstar.
While the France international has previously admitted that it is his dream to play for Real Madrid, the Spanish giants are yet to make a formal approach for Mbappe. Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Barcelona have all been linked with a move for the 24-year-old - but he remains a PSG player, for now.
Mbappe is currently being forced to train away from Luis Enrique's first-team squad after he missed the club's pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea. So, with that being said, football.london has taken a look at the latest updates concerning the future of Mbappe, who could soon be testing himself in the Premier League...
Mbappe makes PSG stance clear
It has been reported that Mbappe has informed PSG that he has no intention of leaving PSG this summer, despite being frozen out of the first team. He turned down a world-record move to Al-Hilal earlier this summer and is currently set to become a free agent next summer after entering the final year of his contract.
New contract
PSG reportedly offered Kylian Mbappe a new contract last week in a bid to ensure that they do not lose him for free next summer. It is said that the contract would have a guaranteed exit clause for the 2024 window but the player turned this down.
Drastic PSG decision
Paris Saint-Germain look set to not even consider allowing Kylian Mbappe back into their plans for the 2023/24 season after two major decisions were made by the French club.
Firstly, Mbappe shirts are no longer purchasable from the club shop and secondly his likeness is being entirely removed from outside the Parc Des Princes, as per GOL.
MLS offer
According to the Daily Record, Major League Soccer has begun exploring the possibility of bringing Kylian Mbappe to the United States. Following their success in persuading Lionel Messi to choose Inter Miami over offers from Barcelona and the Saudi Pro League, MLS executives have sought to shape an innovative deal structure for Mbappe.
The report adds that the American move is both a short and long-term play. When PSG formally placed Mbappe on the transfer market last month the MLS looked to put a swift deal in place.
The League also regards discussions over deal shape as the beginning of a sustained courtship of a future Ballon d'Or winner.
Big PSG call
Paris Saint-Germain have decided to bar Mbappe from training with Luis Enrique's first-team squad amid continued doubt over his future at the club.
The Ligue 1 champions return to their training base on Monday having spent the last two weeks touring Japan and South Korea. However, Mbappe will be part of the so-called 'loft' group ahead of the start of the new season next weekend.
According to PA Media, PSG remain convinced that Mbappe has already agreed to join Real Madrid on a free transfer next summer.
Vinicius message
Real Madrid stars Vinicius Jr and Eder Militao have appeared to tell chief club scout Calafat that they wish to see Mbappe join the club. In a video of Los Blancos training, it appears that they said: "We hope he will come."
It is also said that they added: "Juni, you have to sign Mbappe. You are spending all our money in Ibiza. We’ll no longer have enough for Mbappe.”
Vinicius then says: "Mili, tell Juni to sign Mbappe," to which Miltao says, “Juni sign Mbappe.”
PSG timeline
Fabrizio Romano has revealed that PSG will make a decision as to if Mbappe plays any part in their first team activities during the 2023/24 season next week. He wrote for CaughtOffside: “There were new rumours on Saturday that Paris Saint-Germain are prepared to bench or even exclude Kylian Mbappe from their squad for the first games of the new season; whilst also continuing their current plan of making the superstar train away from the main group of players.
“What I have been told is that a decision on how to proceed with Mbappe, with regard to training and including him in matchday squads, will be made early next week – probably on Monday.
“There is still tension between all parties involved as over recent days PSG tried to convince Mbappe to sign a new contract by including in the deal a specific sale clause for the summer of 2024; an offer the player once again rejected as the plan is still to leave for free next year.”
Real Madrid advice
Arsenal icon Robert Pires has urged Kylian Mbappe to sign for Real Madrid this summer after Paris Saint-Germain chose to place him on the market.
Speaking to talkSPORT Drive while promoting Game4Ukraine, Pires said: “For him, the best decision is to go to Madrid because now the situation with PSG is very difficult and they have a lot of troubles between the two parties – Mbappe’s family and the club.
“I hope for him, because he’s one of the best players in the world, that he will find a good solution for him and of course, for PSG because they don’t want to lose a lot of money.
“The situation is very complicated and when we talk about the player that is the what is most important, to find a good solution. For him if he can go to Madrid now, do it.”
Chelsea odds slashed
The odds on Chelsea signing Kylian Mbappe this summer have been slashed, according to Betfair, as the west London outfit are placed amongst the favourites to land the French forward. The odds have changed from 20/1 down to 9/1, third favourites behind Real Madrid at 8/15 and a stay at PSG at 13/8.
PSG hint
Paris Saint-Germain appear to have hinted on their website that Kylian Mbappe will leave the club this summer. The 24-year-old forward faces an increasingly uncertain future in the French capital at the moment, with his contract at Les Parc des Princes set to expire at the end of next season.
Interestingly, Mbappe has been removed from the first-team page on the club website where Kang-In Lee, Marco Verratti, Neymar, Marquinhos and Lucas Hernandez all feature. It's been widely reported that the France international had previously featured in the header but, with an exit on the cards, he seems to have been wiped from the graphic.
£34m contract clause
After we have passed Monday, July 31 - the deadline has now passed for Kylian Mbappe to active the option to extend his contract. Since the Frenchman is still a PSG player, it means he is owed a €40million (£34million) loyalty bonus, according to Football Transfers.
PSG were hoping to have Mbappe's future resolved before the deadline but they will now spend £34million of their Financial Fair Play budget on the bonus, further limiting the moves they can make to replace their talisman when he eventually does leave.
Chelsea hint
A member of the Chelsea first team appeared to name drop Kylian Mbappe in a cheeky transfer hint on Sunday night as part of the side's pre-season clash with Fulham. Chelsea were given a trophy to lift and parade around after the game, with Reece James and Thiago Silva doing so as captains for each half of the game.
During the jubilant scenes from the players, one thing that may have been noticed if listened to carefully is the name dropping of Mbappe. A player in the celebrations appears to say: "And Mbappe ain't here," though there is uncertainty as to which star said it outside of the shot, but it does appear to be Enzo Fernandez.
Boehly talks
According to the Daily Record, Chelsea are attempting to negotiate a player-plus-cash deal to bring the Frenchman to Stamford Bridge. The report states that the Parisians have encouraged the west Londoners' efforts to secure the forward following direct discussions with Todd Boehly over a potential transfer.
Daily Record add that Real Madrid have not entered talks with PSG since Mbappe was made available for sale.
Liverpool open talks
Liverpool have opened talks with Paris Saint-Germain in an attempt to seal a sensational loan move for Kylian Mbappe, according to the Mirror.
PSG do not want to lose their star man on a free transfer next summer and are therefore open to the idea of him leaving on a season-long loan with Jurgen Klopp's men now formally acting on their interest. The new report also notes that Mbappe's mother Fayza Lamari – also his agent – is a huge Kop fan.
Real Madrid hatch new plan
Kylian Mbappe's most likely destination remains as Real Madrid despite Los Blancos seemingly making it clear they will not pursue a summer move.
However, a new report from Marca states that Madrid are attempting to lower Paris Saint-Germain's demands. The Spanish outlet also states that Madrid feel they can 'activate the signing' at any time or 'postpone' their plans for next season.
Mbappe refuses Al-Hilal talks
Kylian Mbappe has chosen to not enter talks with Al Hilal over a possible summer transfer.
The 24-year-old wants to remain playing in Europe and therefore made the decision to refuse to enter any talks with Al Hilal, according to a report from L’Equipe.
Mbappe breaks silence after Al-Hilal world record bid
Mbappe joining Al Hilal would see the Parisians get the money they are looking for with Mbappe signing a one-year contract that would see him earn £50million per month.
Only being in the Middle East for 12 months would then allow the France international to seal his dream move to Real Madrid on a free transfer. It is still currently unclear on what Mbappe's stance now is following the lucrative proposal sent from the Saudi's, but he has now broken his silence on the proposed move when replying to Basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Amid talk of Al Hilal's bid, the Milwaukee Bucks player posted a photo of himself on Twitter with the caption: "Al Hilal you can take me. I look like Kylian Mbappe *two laughing face emojis and eyes raised emojis.*Moments after the post went live, Mbappe replied with a quote tweet of 13 laughing face emojis.
Bid accepted
PSG have accepted a bid from Al-Hilal to sign Kylian Mbappe this summer, according to a whole host of reports. The French forward could be prepared for a world record switch if he accepts personal terms with the Saudi Pro League side, with a bid ranking at £259million.
Bid submitted
Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs look set to be blown out of the water in the race to sign Kylian Mbappe this summer, with Saudi Arabian outfit Al Hilal submitting a massive bid.
'Concrete offer'
According to The Times, PSG are expecting Chelsea to make a 'concrete offer' for the Frenchman this summer. The report states that the Ligue 1 outfit have placed an £87million price tag on Mbappe as they prepare to field bids in the coming days.
The Parisians' valuation appears relatively low, but it's thought that this will simply lure clubs into a bidding war.
Chelsea problem
Despite acquiring over £200million in funds from selling players, Spanish outlet Marca is reporting that if Chelsea want to sign Kylian Mbappe and avoid FFP issues, they must sell more players.
The Blues have already sanctioned marquee departures for Kai Havertz and Mason Mount, which likely means a few more lucrative exits must be sealed as opposed to the money likely to be obtained from allowing Hakim Ziyech, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Romelu Lukaku to leave
Tottenham contact
Daniel Levy could help Tottenham pull off the transfer swoop of a lifetime if he is able to convince Kylian Mbappe to sign for the north Londoners.
Spurs have registered an interest in Mbappe and could hold a slight advantage as they already have a good relationship with Paris Saint-Germain and club chief Nasser al-Khelaifi because of the conversations the two parties have had regarding Harry Kane, as per Marca.
Real Madrid decision
The most-likely destination for Kylian Mbappe remains as Real Madrid, however an imminent move to the Spanish capital is not something currently on the cards.
According to Marca, Madrid are not planning to make a move for Mbappe on the market this summer as they know the advantage is still with them because Madrid remains as his priority.
Chelsea eye deal
According to RMC (via GFFN), Chelsea are "studying the possibility" of a transfer for Mbappe. The Blues are said to be interested in a move, but naturally the large sums involved will be costly to the Blues, especially after a year which saw them spend over £600million on incoming deals.
Huge cost
PSG are looking for a fee in the region of £160million to sell Mbappe this summer - astronomical for a player with just one year left on his contract. Then there are his wages.
Arteta verdict
Mikel Arteta was asked about PSG's decision to leave Mbappe out of their tour for Japan, but the Arsenal boss stayed as tight-lipped as you might expect.
"You know I never talk about players that don't play for our club. I'm sorry."
PSG make shock decision
PSG have decided to list Mbappe for sale after leaving him out of the squad for their pre-season tour in Japan, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
Writing on Twitter, Romano said: "Understand PSG consider Mbappé FOR SALE starting from today. #Mbappé Paris Saint-Germain feel Kylian Mbappé wants to leave for free in 2024 — he did not communicate anything yet despite Al Khelaifi’s public statement.
"PSG decided to EXCLUDE Kylian from Japan tournée."
10-year contract
PSG have stepped up their attempts to convince Mbappe to stay at the club with a luxurious 10-year contract worth over €1billion (£864m).
According to Defensa Central, the Ligue 1 outfit have been handed the green light from the Emir of Qatar to complete the deal.
Meeting planned
Mbappe is set to meet PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi for the first time since informing the Ligue 1 champions that he will not be extending his contract.
Al-Khelaifi is set to hold a press conference at the French side's new training ground on Tuesday with the entire squad present at his speech.
PSG return
Kylian Mbappe has met the first key point of the next two weeks with the 24-year-old returning to current club Paris Saint-Germain after his holiday, according to The Athletic.
The French club have set July 31 as the clear deadline to resolve the contract saga with a summer sale to the highest bidder possible in the month of August.
Message to Nkunku
Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe has suggested he will be paying close attention to Chelsea in a message to Christopher Nkunku.
Chelsea's French attacker took to social media last week to post a training photo of his ‘first session with the lads’. In the comments, Mbappe replied to his national team-mate by saying, “Going to get my popcorn.”
Arsenal blow
Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Alan Hutton has claimed that Arsenal have very little chance of signing the prolific forward this summer, with a move to Madrid the far more likely option.
"Mbappe is tailor made for Real Madrid,” Hutton told Football Insider. "I just believe that if he was ever to leave PSG, then he will end up at Real Madrid.
“It’s nothing against Arsenal whatsoever, but I can tell you this 100 per cent, it is well known that Madrid is the club he wants to be at. We will wait and see, but I can’t see it being Arsenal, and that is not a downside for them, Mbappe is still 24, so if there is anyone you can imagine in a Real Madrid strip, it would be him."
Mbappe behaviour slammed
Former PSG sporting director Leonardo has slammed the behaviour of Kylian Mbappe in an interview with L'Equipe. He told the French publication: "For the good of PSG, I think the time has come for Mbappe to go, no matter what. Paris-Saint-Germain existed before Kylian Mbappe and it will exist after him. He's been in Paris for six years and, over those six seasons, five different clubs have won the Champions League (Real Madrid in 2018 and 2022, Liverpool in 2019, Bayern Munich in 2020, Chelsea in 2021 and Manchester City in 2023), none of which had Mbappe in their ranks. That means it's entirely possible to win this competition without him."
"With his behaviour over the last two years, Mbappe is showing that he's not yet a player capable of really guiding a team. He's a great player, not a leader. He's a great goalscorer, not a creative one. It's hard to build a team around him."
Arsenal warning sent by Gunners icon
Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith has warned his old club about the perils of potentially shattering their wage structure to sign Kylian Mbappe. Smith told Gambling Zone: "I would think that the chances of Mbappe joining Arsenal are extremely unlikely.
"The money that it would take to sign him would be astronomical. I think the only place he can go is Real Madrid. I think that’s the only place and that is probably the place that he wants to go as well.
"Financially, we know the club is run really well. I think Arsenal would be very conscious of the wage structure they have in place, which needs to be tightly controlled.
"I would be very surprised if they were to smash that with the signing of Mbappe, as great as it would be to have him because he is one of the best players in the world. I don’t think it’s very likely."
Fresh PSG stance
"My position is very clear and I will not repeat it every time," PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi told a press conference last week. "We want Kylian to stay, but if he wants to stay, we want him to sign a new contract.
"We don’t want to let the best player in the world go for free, it’s impossible. PSG is a French club, it’s his city, and he’s already said he doesn’t want to leave for free.
"If today someone made him change his mind, it’s not my fault. I’ll say it again, we won’t let one of the best players in the world go for free, that’s very clear. I will not repeat."
Damning interview
Mbappe has claimed that playing for PSG hasn't helped the way the public views him because the Ligue 1 giants are a 'divisive' club.
During an interview with France Football, the French international revealed his desire to be seen in the same light as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. "Do people trivialise my performance? Yes, but at the same time, I don't blame them", Mbappe said.
"In France, they saw me grow up, they see me all the time, at PSG every weekend or in the national team. And I've been scoring a lot for years. So, for people, it becomes normal. I never complained that my performances were trivialised. I am young and I had the chance to be an observer, not so long ago, before being an actor.
"And myself, I trivialised what Messi was doing, what Cristiano Ronaldo was doing, what the great players were doing. We are in a consumer society, where 'it's good, but do it again'. And the fact that I'm right next door, in Paris... I think playing at PSG doesn't help much because it's a divisive team, a divisive club.
"So, of course it attracts gossip but it doesn't bother me because I know what I'm doing and how I do it."
Secret 'agreement'
PSG believe Kylian Mbappe has a "secret agreement" with Real Madrid over a transfer to join the club, according to reports from Sky Sports. The French forward is claimed to have been sent a letter by the Ligue 1 champions on Monday that claimed he must sign a new deal or he will be sold this summer.
The 24-year-old has just 12-months remaining on his contract with Les Parisiens, with reported interest from Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea too.
Arsenal preference revealed
A report from the Independent has stated PSG are adamant Madrid must pay what they want - but president Florentino Perez does not want to pay PSG a penny for Mbappe.
The report adds that Arsenal would actually be Mbappe's first preference if he were to ever go to the Premier League, both because he likes the evolution of Mikel Arteta's team and would also enjoy the challenge of delivering the title to the club again. The 24-year-old is nevertheless seen as way beyond Arsenal's budget and it should be stressed there has been no contact.
Much will depend on whether there is a serious move, either by another club or Mbappe himself, as to whether Madrid go on to purchase him this summer. The Spanish club recently announced that their spending was finished for the summer with the surprising deal for Joselu, who is seen as a temporary replacement for Karim Benzema before going all in on Mbappe next summer.
PSG deadline
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has claimed that Mbappe must sign a deal soon or he will be made available on the transfer market this summer. Speaking at the unveiling of new head coach Luis Enrique, he said: "Our position is very clear, if Kylian Mbappe wants to stay - we want him to stay - he needs to sign a new contract.
"We cannot let the best player in the world right now leave for free. That is impossible."
Premier League move latest
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed that, despite links with a move to the Premier League, there are currently no talks ongoing for Mbappe. He told CaughtOffside: "Despite some big headlines, I honestly have absolutely no news on any English clubs being in talks to sign Mbappe. If something will happen in the next months we will say that, but at this point I've absolutely zero information on this one."
Arsenal links
Arsenal are among the sides that have been linked with Mbappe as FootballTransfers reports that the Gunners are eyeing a move for the forward. The 24-year-old is claimed to be admired by the north London outfit, who are looking to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League in the near future.
Chelsea interest
Chelsea have been put on red alert over a move for Kylian Mbappe this summer after the forward refused an option to extend his contract by a further year. That's according to the Times, which reports that the Blues are monitoring a potential switch for the France international.
The move could see him reunite with former boss Mauricio Pochettino, who he played under at PSG and has since taken the head coach role at Chelsea.
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