PSG star set to leave: What did Kylian Mbappé say in his statement?

Following reports that Kylian Mbappé will not extend beyond his current deal at Paris Saint-Germain, the French star has released a statement confirming that he intends to leave Paris.

The 24-year-old forward put pen to paper on a new contract in the summer of 2022, which was initially billed as a three-year deal. However it has since emerged that it is actually structured as a two-year-plus-one deal, with Mbappé holding the power to decide whether to activate the third year.

On Tuesday he issued a statement to French agency AFP saying that he had already told the club that he would not be taking the optional third year.

The statement claims that PSG “were informed on July 15, 2022″ that Mbappé would not be extending beyond the summer of 2024. It adds that the recent letter sent to the club was simply “to confirm what had already been spoken about previously.”

“Kylian Mbappé and his entourage confirm that this matter has not been discussed since over the course of the year, except a fortnight ago to announce the sending of the letter,” the statement continued. “No potential contract extension has been mentioned.”

Has Kylian Mbappé asked to leave PSG?

News that Mbappé will not remain at the club beyond 2024 will come as a bitter disappointment to PSG fans. Since his move to the French capital in 2017 Mbappé has developed into one of the finest players in the world and the Parisian-born forward has been a fan favourite.

As it stands, Mbappé does not appear to be pushing for a move this summer and is willing to stay at the club for the next 12 months.

The statement reads: “After maintaining publicly in recent weeks that he would be a PSG player next season, Kylian Mbappé has not asked to leave this summer and has just confirmed to the club that he would not be activating the extra year.”

Mbappé and his entourage added that they “regret that the letter was circulated in the media and that these exchanges were made public with the sole aim of damaging their image and the discussions with the club”.

However even if he is not pushing for a move now, PSG may decide that this is their last opportunity to elicit a substantial fee for the superstar. Next summer, when his contract is set to expire, he will be eligible to sign for another club on a free transfer. By January 2024 he will be able to sign a pre-contract agreement with a non-French side, again securing his departure without PSG receiving a cent for the player they paid €180 million for