By Ed Carruthers For Mailonline and Jamie Gardner, Pa Chief Sports Reporter
16:30 15 February 2024, updated 17:57 15 February 2024
- Kylian Mbappe has told PSG he will leave the Ligue 1 club later this summer
- The Frenchman is free to hold talks with other clubs from January 1
- Liverpool must be ruthless – Jurgen Klopp must maintain two-point lead ahead of title clash with Manchester City – Everything begins podcast
French forward Kylian Mbappe has told Paris Saint-Germain he will leave the club at the end of the season.
It is understood that the terms of his departure have yet to be fully agreed and official confirmation – once those details are finalized – will come in the coming months.
Mbappe’s current contract with PSG expires in the summer and from January 1 he has been able to hold pre-contract talks with other clubs, with Real Madrid currently the frontrunners to sign him.
The 25-year-old’s departure is seen by those inside the club as the latest step away from the old ‘bling bling’ approach to individual signings, following the departures of the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar. It will also end what has been a long-running transfer saga between Mbappe and the club.
PSG are looking to reshape their squad and will use the money saved by Mbappe annually – which club sources put at £171m a year (€200m) gross – on several new signings and renewing deals for young talents such as Warren Zaire- Emery, Xavi Simons and Bradley Barcola.
UEFA is currently phasing in financial sustainability regulations requiring clubs participating in its competitions to ensure team costs do not exceed 70 per cent of revenue by 2025-26.
It comes after France’s World Cup winner scored in their 2-0 win against Real Sociedad in the Champions League on Wednesday night, and while PSG put in a miserable performance, it was Mbappe who powered his side to seal victory .
This was again an indication of his qualities as one of the best strikers in world football and this latest development will have many clubs on red alert.
Real Madrid are the frontrunners to sign him, according to recent reports Le Parisien claiming that Mbappe “chose” to join LaLiga and that there was some “optimism” on Carlo Ancelotti’s side that they could sign him.
They also claim that some of the Madrid players were talking about the Frenchman’s future in the dressing room.
Meanwhile, several other clubs across Europe have also been linked with a move to sign Mbappe. Claims have been made that the PSG superstar could be ‘keen’ to follow in the footsteps of France legend Thierry Henry and join Arsenal.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have been interested in Mbappe for some time and were “in talks” with the 25-year-old over a surprise move to Anfield last summer. However, it seems, according to Le ParisienJurgen Klopp’s side could be another possible destination for the superstar.
The French paper claimed that Mbappe is “not indifferent” to a move to Anfield and had also said that Liverpool “represent the most credible and dangerous candidate” for PSG.
Last summer PSG received a £259m worldwide bid from Al Hilal for Bape and gave the player permission to speak to the Saudi club.
However, it was reported that Mbappe turned down the chance to even discuss a move to Al Hilal when representatives of the club came to Paris.
Amid speculation over his possible exit, PSG club president Nassr Al-Khelaifi previously said he wanted the winger to stay at the club, claiming it was best for him.
He told RMC: “Look, I’m not hiding anything.
“I definitely want Mbappe to stay. For me he is the best in the world and for me the best club for Kylian is Paris.’
PSG have even reportedly offered him a “two-year £70m contract” to try and fend off approaches from Madrid and keep him at the Parc Des Princes.
But Real remain perhaps the most tempting offer for Mbappe, who may earn slightly less at the LaLiga club than in Paris, but may have a better chance of winning the Champions League with the Galacticos.
Mbappe joined the Parisian club in 2017 from Monaco, initially on loan, before paying a whopping £155million to make his move permanent. Mbappe would go on to sign a contract extension in 2022 and has the option to extend the deal for a further year until June 2025.
During his time in Paris, Mbappe has scored 243 goals in 290 appearances for the club, netting his 44th Champions League goal last night.
However, it looked like his time at PSG was coming to an end for some time now, with tensions rising in recent years with both the club and the player applauding his contract with the club.
PSG wanted him to extend his contract beyond 2025 but kicked him out to train with the B team after Mbappe refused to sign a contract extension.
That row intensified after the club prevented Mbappe from attending their tour of Japan – with the club subsequently dropping the 25-year-old from all advertising.
The signs at the time were perhaps telling, with Mbappe penning a letter to the Parisian club stating he would not trigger a one-year extension clause in his contract.
As tensions flared, PSG accused Mbappe of causing “a permanent paralysis at the club” and said he should have treated the club better after “years of unprecedented goodwill and loyalty” towards him.
For Mbappe, the next six months will be busy, in many ways.
He will undoubtedly want to end his time at PSG by winning the Champions League. After that comes the Euros, with Mbappe leading Didier Deschamps’ side in the tournament.
Thierry Henry also said he would love to have Mbappe as part of his squad to represent France at the Paris Olympics later this summer.
But there is no doubt that a number of clubs across Europe will be eyeing a move for the French superstar.