Kylian Mbappe feels larger than life while PSG is making every effort to keep the French national team player at Parc des Princes for a longer time.
"The atomic bomb" is how The Times describes the letter received by PSG from their most important player, announcing the decision not to extend the contract. Is the letter merely a notification to PSG or does it carry some hidden message directed at Real Madrid, just a few days after Karim Benzema's move to Saudi Arabia?
Above all, Mbappe has put PSG in a difficult position. They have to either sell him or risk losing him for free in the summer of 2024. But more importantly, Mbappe was granted immense power by PSG on May 21st of last year when he signed a two-year contract and became the highest-paid football player on the planet.
PSG has tried to prevent the French striker from joining Real Madrid as a free agent and has done everything to persuade him to stay. Mbappe is considered a national treasure, not just a player of a football club. His influence is vast and far-reaching.
In the summer of 2022, faced with the prospect of losing their star player, PSG sought the assistance of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the incumbent President Emmanuel Macron to convince Mbappe to stay, at least until the Paris 2024 Olympics.
President Macron advised, "Consider the consequences Mbappe's departure would have on French football, especially during this pandemic period. Losing media contracts worth over 1 billion euros annually will affect all clubs in Ligue 1. Rejecting Real's offer will bring tangible benefits not only to PSG but to the entire French football industry. A successful football industry plays an important role in the French economy."
"It was a few calls," Mbappe said about President Macron's efforts, "He called and said, 'I know you want to leave. I want to say that you are very important to France. I don't want you to leave. You have an opportunity to make history here. Everyone loves you.' I really appreciate it because everything has been crazy. The president calls you and wants you to stay."
Finally, Mbappe signed an unusually short but lucrative contract, worth around 400 million euros. PSG then showcased a jersey with the inscription "Mbappe 2025," but it includes a clause requiring the striker to notify before July 31st of this year whether he wants to activate the extension clause or not.
"How can you compete with PSG?" Real's recruitment team said to The Times in their efforts to lure Mbappe away from Paris in 2021 and 2022, "They leave us with no choice but to wait."
Just two months after signing the contract, Mbappe showed dissatisfaction with what he believed to be the wrong direction from PSG. The handwritten letter he sent to PSG last week reads "17/07/2022."
In a recent statement to Agence France-Presse, Mbappe stated, "The leadership has been informed since July 15th, 2022, about my decision not to extend beyond 2024, and the letter was sent to confirm what I have said to them."
Close friends of Mbappe said he was disappointed with PSG's transfer plans last summer. Despite appointing Luis Campos, a former advisor to AS Monaco, PSG failed to bring in center-back Milan Skriniar or center-forward Robert Lewandowski. As the transfer window closed, PSG was left with a severely imbalanced squad. Mbappe is said to be increasingly "frustrated" with the prospects of winning the Champions League at the club.
Throughout the season, Mbappe had internal disputes with Neymar over penalty kicks. The World Cup 2022 top scorer also criticized the tactics of coach Christophe Galtier. PSG was eliminated from the Champions League in the Round of 16 and only successfully defended the Ligue 1 title in the final week of the season.
This could be the reason why Mbappe no longer wants to stay. Now, Chairman Al-Khelaifi has started committing to building a proper "team," removing Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos, while Neymar is among the more than 10 first-team players who could be put up for sale in the summer of 2023.
Mbappe is essentially added to the transferable list. PSG will try to persuade Mbappe to reconsider their initial plan, which is to extend for at least one more season and then sell him in the summer of 2024 for a minimum fee of 100 million euros to a club of his choice. But if Mbappe refuses, they will seek ways to recoup their investment in this transfer window.
PSG has been active in the transfer market. They are close to completing the signings of Skriniar from Inter Milan, Marco Asensio from Real, as well as deals for Manuel Ugarte from Sporting and Lee Kang-in from Mallorca.
PSG is trying to appease Mbappe and hopes he will change his decision once again. "People often say no player is bigger than the club. However, Mbappe seems to be becoming an exception," concludes The Times.
