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PSG’s Kylian Mbappé ultimatum expires: what next for the Real Madrid target?
France captain Mbappé wants to see out the last year of his contract in Paris, after which he would be available for free.
After almost a month of vacation, Kylian Mbappé reports back for duty with Paris Saint-Germain on Monday. Since 12 June, the date on which the France captain informed the club that he wasn’t prepared to extend his contract beyond June 2024, the Ligue 1 champions have pulled out all the stops in an effort to force him to do so, which have come to no avail. As it stands, the attacker is determined to see out the last year of his deal in Paris, which means he would receive a total loyalty bonus of €80 million (circa $89.9 million), €40 million ($44.94 million) of which will be paid on 31 July this year. Real Madrid are on red alert.
PSG issue Mbappé with transfer ultimatum
PSG president Nasser Al Khelaïfi sent a clear and concise message on 5 July. At the unveiling of Luis Enrique as the club’s new head coach, the Qatari spoke publicly for the first since time since Mbappé had revealed his intentions, and gave his star player an ultimatum: sign a new contract or be sold. Minutes later, in an interview with Le Parisien newspaper, Al Khelaïfi stated that the striker “should decide in ten days at the most”. As of 16 July, the ultimatum had expired.
There’s a busy week ahead in Paris. On Monday, Mbappé will undergo a pre-season fitness test with the rest of the club’s international players before training for the first time at PSG’s new sports complex in Poissy on Tuesday. According to L’Équipe, Al Khelaïfi will be present at Tuesday’s session and could attempt to sit down with the forward to find a solution with regard to his future.
Deadlock between France captain and Paris Saint-Germain
Mbappé isn’t expected to give any ground. Despite having no desire to renew his contract, the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot winner wants to stay at PSG until the summer of 2024. He won’t force a move away, nor will he refuse to play, which would stop him from picking up the aforementioned loyalty bonus. L’Équipe believe Mbappé and his entourage have already held talks with Al Khelaïfi, who has expressed concern about his situation.
If nothing changes before then, Mbappé should be part of PSG’s pre-season tour in Asia, which begins with a trip to Japan on Saturday. The position of Al Khelaïfi and the club’s Qatari owners also remains the same: if the attacker shows no willingness to extend his deal, they will look to move him on. However, with a year left on his contract and the club unable to force him out, Mbappé knows he holds all the cards.
Could PSG force Mbappé out?
French broadcaster RMC Sport have suggested, however, that PSG could be willing to drop him from the starting line-up in an effort to pressure the 24-year-old into leaving. In any case, the Qataris want to find a resolution as quickly as possible either way, with the Parisians unable to do be as active in the transfer market as they would like due to the uncertainty surrounding Mbappé's future.