With his contract at PSG set to end in less than 11 months, the PSG superstar is once again the subject of intense speculation this summer. Despite his professed refusal to sign a contract extension, the Ligue 1 powerhouses are not taking any chances with their prized asset going for free this summer.
PSG officials are reportedly concerned that Mbappe has already signed a pre-contract agreement with Real Madrid to join the club as a free agent in 2024. The 24-year-old is anticipated to earn a big signing bonus, with estimations ranging between €100 million and more.
PSG is naturally dissatisfied with the current situation. He spent his first season on loan in Paris after being acquired from Monaco for a staggering £162 million in the summer of 2017.
Mbappe has now become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer and has guided them to five Ligue 1 titles. If the World Cup champion leaves for his asking price, the contract that results would surely be an all-time high.
Al Hilal, a Saudi Pro League club, made a failed €300 million bid for Mbappe. After failing to sign Lionel Messi, the Saudis have turned their attention to Mbappe, offering him a one-year contract of €700 million for his season in the desert.’
According to Fabrizio Romano, despite their offer, Mbappe has no plans to leave mainland European competition just yet.
Mbappe is unconvinced by a one-year deal that would make him a free agent after the upcoming season.
Mbappé is interested in joining Chelsea, but there is a condition.
Mbappe’s rejection of PSG’s offer, on the other hand, poses a problem because the club is determined to move him on.
According to the Spanish newspaper Sport, Mbappe has offered his services to Chelsea in an effort to resolve the situation.
Mbappe has contacted Pochettino, his former PSG boss, to convey his willingness to join the Blues if a transfer can be arranged.
Todd Boehly, a Chelsea co-owner, has began talks with his PSG counterpart, Nasser Al Khelaif, to see if a deal can be struck. In the current negotiations, Chelsea is said to have offered PSG three players of their choice in return for Mbappe.
Despite the former’s delight, reports suggest a schism between Boehly and Pochettino over the importance of Mbappe’s signing.
At this point, the so-called “healthy debate” is seen as little more than two people broadcasting opposing viewpoints. Pochettino has a thorough understanding of Mbappe’s strengths and shortcomings after guiding the 243-goal forward for a year.
Pochettino’s main fear, according to the source, is Mbappe’s devotion to Chelsea. Furthermore, Sport adds that Mbappe has stated that he is only interested in a one-year contract or a loan at Stamford Bridge.
The Mbappe trade has been compared to a game of poker.
They further allege that Mbappe has informed them informally that he expects to sign a free transfer with Real Madrid in the summer of 2024.
The difficulty, of course, is that Boehly seems to view Mbappe’s presence, even if just for a season, as a means to launch Chelsea out of their current lethargy, while Pochettino believes that adding Mbappe would make little sense to Chelsea’s long-term aims.
Mbappe, on the other hand, is willing to cut his present weekly wage of £700,000 in order to aid his move to Stamford Bridge. However, that may not be enough to persuade Pochettino that his signing is beneficial at the moment.
Whatever the situation, Sport believes that it is extremely unlikely that it will be resolved before the September 1 transfer deadline. And whether or not a transfer to Chelsea materializes, they describe the immediate future of Mbappe as a ‘game of poker’ between PSG and the player.