Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has taken the controversial decision to prevent Kylian Mbappe, the star French forward, from participating in training sessions with the first-team squad as a result of an ongoing contract dispute.
With the new Ligue 1 season approaching, tensions have escalated between the player and the club as Mbappe refused to extend his contract, which is set to expire next summer.
PSG firmly believes that Mbappe has already reached an agreement to join Real Madrid at the conclusion of the upcoming season. Consequently, they are eager to sell him this summer rather than risk losing him for free in June 2024.
Having accepted a staggering world-record bid of £259m from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, PSG permitted Mbappe to engage in talks with the club. However, the player expressed his disinterest in moving to the Saudi Pro League and declined to meet with Al-Hilal delegates.
As a consequence of this impasse, Mbappe was excluded from PSG’s pre-season squad for their tour of Japan and South Korea.
Now, as Luis Enrique’s side prepares to return to their training base, the 24-year-old finds himself barred from working with the main first-team squad.
According to BBC Sport, Mbappe will instead train with the ‘loft’ group, while the ‘A’ training group finalizes their preparations for the forthcoming season.
The report suggests that a resolution to the contract dispute seems distant, with Mbappe having rejected PSG’s latest offer, which included a sale clause for the end of the season.
In the midst of this standoff, PSG is contemplating the possibility of loaning Mbappe out for the season, a proposition that has attracted interest from two Premier League clubs.
Chelsea is understood to be one of the clubs keen on securing a loan move for the talented forward. Additionally, recent reports indicate that Mbappe would entertain the idea of joining Liverpool on a temporary basis.
As Mbappe’s future continues to be shrouded in uncertainty, PSG is allegedly making plans to bolster their attacking options. They are reportedly poised to acquire Goncalo Ramos from Benfica.
PSG’s title defense in Ligue 1 will commence on Saturday when they face Lorient at their revered Parc des Princes stadium.
