The PSG is on high alert. The star of the Parisian club, Kylian Mbappe, confirmed on Tuesday his intention not to activate the clause in his contract allowing him to extend until 2025. The Frenchman had communicated his decision in a letter sent to the club on Monday evening, as revealed by the newspaper “L’Equipe.”
This announcement comes a little over a year after his surprise extension at PSG, which he joined in 2017 for €180 million from Monaco. The World Cup runner-up had extended until 2024, with the option to activate an additional year. The deadline to make his choice had been set for July 31, 2023.
However, the PSG’s star striker stated on Tuesday, in a statement, that there was never any question of extending his contract beyond 2024. “The club’s management in charge of his extension” was informed on July 15, 2022 of his decision (not to go beyond 2024) and the letter had the sole purpose of confirming what had already been orally stated beforehand, the text specifies.
Millions of euros at stake
For PSG, this is a real blow. A departure of the 24-year-old striker at the end of his contract in the summer of 2024 would be catastrophic, as, in addition to the void left in the team and the loss of their attacking jewel, the club would be deprived of the millions of euros that a transfer would bring.
In these conditions, PSG’s management has two options: either to persuade him to activate the extension clause before the July 31 deadline, or to try to sell him to a club this summer and recover a large sum of money in return. According to the “Parisien,” the latter option is the one that is taking shape. Kylian Mbappe would be looking to join Real Madrid this summer.
An immediate response was given by the main person involved: “Lies. The bigger the lie, the more it passes. I already said I will continue next season at PSG where I am very happy,” snapped the 2018 World Cup champion on Twitter.
Increasing difficulties
In any case, the wish expressed by the Frenchman on Monday evening is another annoyance for the Qatari owners. It comes after a difficult season on and off the field, despite winning the French title. Once again failing in the Champions League, the club is currently working to find a successor to Christophe Galtier, who left his position a year after arriving from Nice.
Without a coach, PSG also said goodbye to the Argentine World Cup champion Lionel Messi, whose contract expired and left amid jeers from the Parc des Princes, and to the experienced Sergio Ramos. The future of the other star striker, Neymar, under contract until 2025, also appears quite uncertain.
Kylian Mbappe had already hinted that he could leave in 2024, during the UNFP awards ceremony on May 28. “I said that next year I will play for PSG. I still have a year left on my contract, so I will honor my contract,” he declared after winning his fourth consecutive Player of the Season award in Ligue 1.
With AFP
