Reports say Real Madrid target Kylian Mbappé could renew with PSG on a long-term deal

The future of Kylian Mbappé will not depend on a hypothetical elimination from the Champions League. After a summer of relentless rumours of his departure, even being ‘exiled’ by his club side, the captain of the French national team is now only thinking about the ‘final’ that the Parisians will play this Wednesday against Dortmund (3 p.m. ET / noon PT.). He is not focussed on a contract renewal that, in any case, will be decided from next year in the executive boardrooms of Qatar.

According to information from L’Équipe, the winger, in the event of a contract renewal with PSG (something which is still not clear) would sign a long-term deal and not a two year extension as he did in 2022. Back then, Mbappé agreed to a two-year contract extension with an optional third that could only be unilaterally exercised by the player. It was something he did not do, instead sending a letter to the club in June explicitly signalling to them that he would not stay on.

Mbappé has turned a corner after a tough summer at PSG

In March, just after PSG were eliminated in the last 16 of the Champions League against Bayern, the 2018 World Cup winner already made it clear that his future did not depend on European results. “If I linked my future to the Champions League, and I mean no disrespect to the club, I would have gone far away. I’m here, I’m very happy and, for the moment, I’m not thinking about anything other than making PSG proud,” he said.

Mbappé, according to L’Équipe, appreciated at the time that Luis Enrique put pressure on the club to introduce him back into the first team. After a tiring transfer market, one in which Al Khelaïfi promised him that he would no longer play for PSG if he did not renew, Mbappé joined back up with his teammates after a meeting with the Qatari on August 12 at the Parc des Princes. He has since recovered his form and has established himself as the leader of the project, as well as being fully aware that the team’s development is finally approaching the phase that Qatar promised in May 2022, when they managed to persuade him to renew.

Mbappé could be swayed if PSG fail in UCL

In any case, a possible group stage elimination of PSG in the Champions League could spark Mbappé's distrust of the Parisian project. In terms of the negotiations that will take place next year regarding his renewal, the player’s sense of trust in the project will be more decisive than any European Cup success. Al Khelaïfi is in no hurry, nor is Luis Campos, as they want to avoid a scenario in which rumours could disrupt the performance of the top scorer in PSG’s history.