Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) president Nasser Al-Khelaifi reportedly opted against engaging in a one-on-one conversation with Kylian Mbappe when he visited the team’s training ground on Tuesday.
The French striker recently surprised and disappointed PSG by expressing his unwillingness to exercise the 12-month extension option in his contract. Consequently, Mbappe will be eligible to leave the club without any transfer fee at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. However, Al-Khelaifi has made it clear that such a scenario will not be permitted.
Despite his position, Mbappe has affirmed his intention to remain with PSG for the upcoming season. He intends to make a final decision about his future only in the last few weeks of his contract.
In contrast, PSG is eager to part ways with the forward if he fails to commit to the club long-term. Initially, it was expected that Al-Khelaifi would engage in crucial discussions with the 24-year-old at Campus PSG on Tuesday.
However, according to Sky Sports News, the two did not have a face-to-face conversation. Nevertheless, Al-Khelaifi has presented Mbappe with an ultimatum: he has until the end of the month to extend his contract or face being sold in August.
Rather than having a personal discussion with Mbappe, Al-Khelaifi chose to address the entire group and also took the opportunity to welcome the team’s six new signings: Milan Skriniar, Marco Asensio, Manuel Ugarte, Lucas Hernandez, Kang-in Lee, and Cher Ndour.
During a 15-minute speech, Al-Khelaifi emphasized that no one, including the president himself, is bigger than the club. He made it clear that players who do not wish to represent PSG can leave.
The 49-year-old also stressed that PSG has “no excuse” for not achieving success this season, as coach Enrique aims to end the club’s string of failures in the Champions League.
While PSG will make every effort to offload Mbappe if he remains adamant about leaving, the former Monaco player may find limited offers this summer due to PSG’s €200 million (£173.5 million) asking price, which only a few clubs can afford.
Despite previously rejecting Real Madrid to stay at PSG, a move to the Bernabeu is still considered the most likely outcome of the saga, especially with Karim Benzema departing for Al-Ittihad this summer.
However, given the recent arrivals of Arda Guler, Joselu, and Jude Bellingham in the Spanish capital, Real Madrid may wait until 2024 to sign Mbappe on a free transfer.
Manchester United has also been mentioned as a potential destination for Mbappe, but only if Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani wins the race to acquire the club from the Glazer family.
The 24-year-old is also rumored to prefer a move to Arsenal if he joins the Premier League. However, Arsenal is unlikely to break its wage structure to accommodate Mbappe.
Despite the constant speculation surrounding his future, Mbappe had a remarkable season, scoring an astounding 41 goals in 43 games and surpassing Edinson Cavani as PSG’s all-time leading goalscorer.