Real Madrid: PSG losing hope over Mbappe contract renewal

Kylian Mbappé is no closer to signing a new contract at PSG and, as things stand, he is closest to the point of leaving the Ligue 1 giants as he has been since his arrival from Monaco on an initial loan deal in 2017. The France forward’s stance has not changed since August despite the various machinations of the Parc des Princes board to persuade him to agree to a new deal and the arrival of Leo Messi to bolster the club’s bid for a first Champions League title. Sporting director Leonardo and PSG’s owners are increasingly pessimistic about their chances of retaining Mbappé amid interest from Real Madrid and the 22-year-old will be free to negotiate with clubs outside of Ligue 1 as of January.

AS understands there have been no new developments regarding the impasse and PSG have offered to make Mbappé the highest-paid player in Mauricio Pochettino's star-studded squad but so far, the France international remains unmoved. Last October, Mbappé told RMC Sport and L’Équipe that he had asked to leave PSG the previous summer, but the club refused to sanction a move. It had been hoped in the corridors of power that signing Messi would help to convince Mbappé that his future lay in Paris, but despite not wanting to leave on anything other than good terms he has yet to even consider committing his future to PSG.

Mbappé free to negotiate with Real Madrid in January

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Leonardo and PSG president Nasser Al Khelaïfi were convinced Mbappé would stay if he was offered the platform to achieve his personal goals, among them winning the Champions League, but adding Messi to the squad has not had the desired effect. Now they face a race against time to persuade Mbappé to renew before January, when Real Madrid and any other suitors will be given a clear path to negotiate directly with the player.

Although Mbappé’s mother, Fayza Lamari, told Le Parisien a month ago that talks with Leonardo had progressed there has been little tangible advance in the stance of either party to date with Mbappé having rejected every offer tabled by the club. If that situation remains the same for another five weeks, Mbappé will leave as a free agent next summer. In the meantime, the forward’s objective remains to win the Champions League with PSG and he will not rock the boat in pursuit of that. Despite the behind the scenes wrangling, on the pitch Mbappé has been in stellar form this season, scoring nine goals and providing 12 assists in 18 appearances.