Kylian Mbappe told PSG in June he had no intention of signing contract extension; Mbappe’s current deal expires in 2024 and PSG say he must extend or be sold this summer; PSG only want players committed to club on tour
By Kaveh Solhekol, Sky Sports News Chief Reporter
Kylian Mbappe has been put up for sale by Paris Saint-Germain.
Mbappe has not been included in the squad to Japan and South Korea, which departs on Saturday.
PSG only want players on the tour who are committed to the club and want to be at the club and take the view that no player is more important than the club.
PSG are convinced Mbappe has already agreed to join Real Madrid on a free transfer next summer, a move that is viewed as a huge betrayal after he said he would never leave for free.
The club sought clarity from Mbappe when training resumed this month but nothing has been communicated by the player.
PSG, therefore, assume Mbappe wants to leave for free and plans for life without him must begin, starting with their pre-season tour of the Far East.
Mbappe is now for sale and the club will engage with suitors, of which there are many who have been waiting for developments.
PSG’s six summer signings will be travelling to Japan and South Korea, together with the new coach Luis Enrique and all the positively-motivated squad.
Analysis: Gloves are off for PSG
SSN chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol:
PSG insiders believe what Mbappe is doing is almost sabotage, killing his club and empowering the club’s big rival with a free gift transfer.
PSG are convinced it’s just about money for Mbappe now. If he stays in Paris just until next summer, he picks up huge wages and bonus – more than £100m. Then next summer he can get a £160m signing-on fee in Madrid as a free agent plus huge wages.
The view from PSG insiders now is that the gloves are off and it’s time to stand up for what’s right.
Everyone for years has been saying the club doesn’t stand up to players. A few years ago, Lionel Messi and Mbappe would have got away with their behaviour and PSG would be pleading with them to stay but now it’s really different, with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is truly determined to protect the future of the club.
What have Al-Khelaifi and Mbappe said about each other?
A statement from Mbappe’s entourage in early June:
“After having publicly declared in recent weeks that he will be a Parisian next season, Kylian Mbappe did not ask for his departure this summer, but merely confirmed to the club that he was not activating his additional year.
“The management of the club in charge of its extension (signed on May 21 2022) was informed of its decision on July 15 2022 and the sole purpose of the letter was to confirm what had already been orally clarified previously.
“Mbappe and his entourage claim they have not discussed this point with the club again during the year, except 15 days ago to announce the sending of the letter. Nor has any possible new extension been mentioned.
“Finally, Mbappe and his entourage regret that the receipt of this letter has been transmitted to the media and that these exchanges are made public with the sole aim of damaging his image and the smooth running of conversations with the club.”
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi speaking in early July:
“My position is very clear. I don’t want to repeat it every time: if Kylian wants to stay, we want him to stay. But he needs to sign a new contract.
“We don’t want to lose the best player in the world for free. We can’t do that. This is a French club.
“He said he would never leave for free. If he changes his mind today, it’s not my fault. We don’t want to lose the best player in the world for free, that’s very clear.”
Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports
Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.