Paris Saint-Germain attacker Kylian Mbappe has reportedly decided against triggering the extra year in his contract with the French champions, meaning that he is due to become a free agent at the end of next season.
The World Cup-winning Frenchman was widely expected to join Real Madrid in the summer of 2022, one year after Los Blancos had a £137m bid rejected by PSG.
Les Parisiens’ decision would seemingly backfire, as Mbappe would have been able to leave the club on a free transfer last year, but the 24-year-old performed a surprise U-turn and agreed to a new deal with PSG.
Mbappe’s terms run until the end of the 2023-24 season with the option of an additional 12 months until 2025, but his future has still been called into question throughout the campaign.
Only a few months after penning his fresh terms, reports emerged claiming that Mbappe regretted his decision and wanted out after all, having felt ‘betrayed’ by promises that were broken since signing his new deal, as well as rumours of a falling-out with teammate Neymar.
The striker also memorably called out PSG last month over a promotional video for season ticket renewals, during which he was a prominent figure, claiming that the club was not “Kylian Saint-Germain”.
However, the former Monaco starlet has since hinted that he is prepared to stay at PSG, claiming that he wants to win the Champions League with the capital club in the wake of several failed ventures in Europe.
The 2023-24 season may be Mbappe’s final opportunity to steer PSG to continental glory, though, as L’Equipe claims that he does not intend to activate the one-year option in his contract.
While the report adds that Mbappe’s relationship with the club’s hierarchy is no longer as fractious as it was, the France international is still pining for a move elsewhere.
As a result, PSG have been left in a complicated position, as they must either try to find a buyer for Mbappe this summer or risk letting his contract run down over the coming months.
Real Madrid are thought to have cooled their interest in Mbappe following last year’s drawn-out saga, but Los Blancos will soon be in the market for a successor to Karim Benzema.
The Ballon d’Or winner is expected to renew his Bernabeu deal for another season, but Real could reignite their interest in Mbappe if Benzema bids farewell in 2024.
Liverpool was also mooted as a possible destination for Mbappe last year, but the Reds were never regarded as serious suitors given the cost involved in bringing Mbappe to England.
However, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is supposedly interested in signing Mbappe for Manchester United should he complete a lucrative takeover of the Red Devils this summer.
Amid the ongoing speculation over his future, the 24-year-old has enjoyed another prolific campaign with 40 goals and nine assists from 41 games for PSG, who need just a point against Strasbourg on Saturday to retain their Ligue 1 title with a game to spare.