When the PSG Community reported that the home team of Parc des Princes had agreed to sell Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid for €250 million plus add-ons, it was perhaps an affirmation of the downfall of this football club.
Just a month ago, PSG bid a silent farewell to Lionel Messi. The greatest player in history arrived in Paris in the summer of 2021 with high expectations. However, apart from winning two consecutive Ligue 1 titles (which almost seemed like a given), the Champions League remained a distant dream for PSG. The treatment of the Argentine legend by the French fans in the final days in Paris was also harsh. All of this led to the collapse of the "Messi project" in disappointment. The Eiffel Tower still stands, but the "Messi Tower" is no longer in Paris.
Two weeks before Messi departed for MLS to join Inter Miami, rumors of Neymar flirting with Manchester United also surfaced. While this transfer saga had more political maneuvering involved, it couldn't escape the doubts surrounding the capital club. Neymar and his father always act with calculation and purpose. Before Neymar, one of the longest-serving players at the club, midfielder Marco Verratti, also expressed his desire to leave PSG. With 11 years of loyalty at Parc des Princes, Verratti was not only the top midfield talent but also the first building block in PSG's star-studded project. Losing Verratti also meant losing a part of PSG's history. In the whirlwind of money from the Saudi Pro League, star names are flocking there, and the talented Italian midfielder is also rumored to be heading in that direction.
And now, the "Parisian prodigy," the last gem of PSG, Kylian Mbappe, has officially come into play. It is said that Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the owner of PSG, has reached an agreement with Real Madrid President Florentino Perez regarding Mbappe's situation. Ten days ago, with the statement that he would not extend his contract with PSG, implying that Mbappe could leave freely next summer, PSG was faced with a dilemma. On one hand, they could risk losing Mbappe after investing half a billion euros in this forward, and on the other hand, they could continue to entrust the soul of the team to the Champions League game - Mbappe. It would be foolish to choose option 2. The question here is, how much is Real Madrid willing to play and spend? Real Madrid is not a club that counts every penny. On the contrary, for Perez, spending a large sum of money is a way to promote the club's name and show their willingness to invest. Just as Alex Ferguson described, "They spent all that money not just to buy a player, but to say: We are Real Madrid, and Real Madrid will act like this!" Here, the proposed €250 million seems excessive for a one-year contract for a player who no longer has his soul in France.
However, above all, there are signs of one failure after another, selling stars in panic, and the silence of the ruling class. Could this indicate a flight of the Qatari owners?
