There is a public conflict with the PSG leadership, and Kylian Mbappe is likely to play his final season in the colors of the French capital team. However, while PSG is in a hurry to sell, Mbappe is not in a rush to leave, and Real Madrid is even less eager to make a move.
PSG played their final card. They used the media to "launch a western offensive," putting maximum pressure on Mbappe to make a decision to extend his contract with the Parc des Princes team by July 31st. PSG President Nasser al-Khelaifi declared that if Mbappe wants to stay, he must sign a new contract, otherwise the club will sell him.
Naturally, Mbappe remains firm in his position. He strictly adheres to the contract he has signed: staying at PSG until the end of the 2023/24 season and not activating the contract extension clause until 2025. Whether he is sold or not this summer depends entirely on PSG.
PSG gave Mbappe a deadline of July 31st, but in reality, they are in a hurry. The PSG leadership has to quickly consider whether to sell and risk losing the superstar French forward. They understand that the sooner Mbappe's future is decided, the better it is for preparing for the upcoming season.
Therefore, PSG has changed tactics with Mbappe. Instead of "tempting him with a sweet project that leads nowhere," President Al-Khelaifi directly kicked the ball into the 24-year-old superstar's court: either extend his contract or be sold this summer.
But PSG's pressure tactics haven't made the French international nervous. Mbappe still maintains his stance of staying at PSG until the end of the 2023/24 season as per the contract. This means that the reigning French champions will have to pay a loyal bonus of 40 million euros to Mbappe (deadline on July 31st), regardless of whether he is sold or not.
In addition, PSG will lose him if they don't sell him this summer. Starting from January 1st, 2024, Mbappe will be free to negotiate with potential future destinations. Real Madrid is the only destination Mbappe wants to go to after parting ways with PSG.
While Mbappe is not in a hurry to leave, Real Madrid is also not in a rush to buy. Los Blancos have been waiting for the French forward for a few years, so what is a few more months (specifically, less than 5 months)? Therefore, even though Real Madrid desperately needs to strengthen their attacking options to replace Karim Benzema, who has joined Al Ittihad in the Saudi Arabian league after 14 years with the Bernabeu club, President Florentino Perez is not acting hastily to sign a contract with the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot winner.
Appearing busy with the presentation of new signings, the Real Madrid leadership believes that they don't need to intervene in matters solely related to Mbappe and PSG, even if the French club suspects that Los Blancos have already reached a "secret agreement" with their superstar.
To avoid playing the role of the "villain," Real Madrid is ready to wait for PSG to declare the sale of Mbappe in the coming days, or even wait until the end of the summer transfer window to start negotiations in January 2024.
This is a completely different approach compared to the summer of 2021. At that time, Real Madrid was reportedly willing to pay 200 million euros to PSG to buy out the final year of Mbappe's contract before he extended it at the end of May 2022. The leadership of the Spanish giants believed that the situation between Mbappe and PSG was very tense, and a new contract seemed unlikely.
Therefore, instead of spending around 500 million euros (transfer fee, loyalty bonus, and salary) for this "super blockbuster" deal, Real Madrid is in no hurry. They are willing to wait for nearly 5 more months, "holding the tree and waiting for the rabbit," to acquire Mbappe by only spending about half of the aforementioned amount (loyalty bonus and salary).
Los Blancos are maintaining absolute silence but knowing that with each passing day, the French star is getting closer to the Bernabeu without having to pay any fee to PSG
