PSG
PSG’s Mbappé still not talking about his future or club contract
Mbappé's future is not his main concern right now: he is only thinking about winning the long-awaited Champions League title with his club.
For the third consecutive time, Kylian Mbappé was absent from France media duties, this time ahead of the game against The Netherlands in the UEFA Euro qualifiers. Although he was not obliged to attend, the old team captain, Hugo Lloris (now retired) was always the figure who stood up to speak to the press.
The reason, according to those around him, lies with the amount of questions that the player would have to deal with regarding his future in a context in which he is only bothered about the France National Team and not PSG-related topics. Also, according to L’Équipe, Mbappé also does not want to give his opinion on the Israeli conflict.
Mbappé and PSG are now on good terms
The last time Mbappé appeared in front of the press was back on June 15, ahead of France’s game against Gibraltar, held in Portugal. At that point, Mbappé had sent a letter to PSG notifying them of his rejection of a contract extension, which expires in June 2024. A few weeks later, the situation was at critical levels of tension, with the French club giving the player an ultimatum: sign a deal or sit in the stands.
Mbappé, despite Al Khelaïfi’s best efforts, stayed firm and did not renew his deal, he also did not choose to activate a unilateral clause which expired on July 31 to extend his deal with the French club until 2025. The two arrived at an agreement which, according to L’Équipe, saw the player lose out on a significant sum of money in order to return to training with the team.
A conversation on August 12 at the Parc de Princes stadium, held between to the President of PSG and Mbappé, reportedly changed everything, with al parties involved leaving the room happy and positive.
PSG hope they can make Mbappé extend his deal
Given the change in tensions, the news even leaked that Mbappé was set to renew a deal, something that hasn’t yet happened, as the player is remaining firm: the only thing that has happened so far is that Mbappé has rejected various bonuses and variables in his deal.
Mbappé's future has dropped down the list of priorities and in France, and general talk of negotiations between the club and the 2018 World Cup winner have died down. Reports in France suggest that PSG are calm and trust that they will be able to persuade him to sign before the end of the season, just like in 2021. For now, Mbappé's head is fully focussed on PSG and what happens on the pitch - not showing up in public in appearances that could affect his performance.
However, any negotiations on Mbappé's future won’t enter the final phase until PSG’s Champions League campaign is over. The European trophy is their obsession: ever since Qatar got involved with the club in 2011, it has been a dream for the side and is something that could well condition Mbappé's opinion on where he wants to play football.
Mbappé suffering a goal drought
PSG, meanwhile, are calm: they have built bridges with the player and those around him and hope that he can perform on the pitch to bring the club the glory they desire.
“The relationship with the directors has calmed considerably, both sides have shown more patience since a financial agreement was reached, based on the idea that nobody loses, allowing the player to return to the pitch at the start of August. PSG are still hopeful of convincing the player to extend his deal, which expires in June, with the same economic conditions. The club also trust that, whatever the player decides, he will do so without any problems. Evidently things were not like that during the summer, when the idea of a free transfer scared the club accountants”, wrote L’Équipe.
The current goal drought that the France captain is suffering is due to the lack of physical preparation time he had over summer. PSG exiled the player until the second match day of the Ligue 1 season and also his numbers are good, with 8 goals in 9 games, the calendar has affected his performance on the pitch. However, there is no pressure being put on the player, with both Deschamps and Luis Enrique saying his performances have been impeccable.
