2023-06-13 15:29:40
Kylian Mbappé revived speculation about his near future by warning PSG on Monday that he would not activate the additional year included as an option in his contract. The French striker could either go through with his contract, in 2024, or be transferred this summer. A decision which, in addition to being unexpected, could seriously disrupt the sports project of the capital club. Explanations.
And Kylian Mbappé threw a new stone in the garden of PSG. The French striker warned his club by letter on Monday June 12 that he would not activate the optional additional year which allows him to extend his contract until 2025. He will thus go to the end of his current contract, which runs until the summer of 2024, and could leave free – therefore for free – from the Parisian club if the latter does not react this summer.
Barely a year after Kylian Mbappé’s eventful extension – on very advantageous terms –, this announcement surprised the management of PSG in several ways. Qatari President Nasser al-Khelaïfi “was stunned” by this announcement “while PSG have done a lot and are counting on it next season”, according to France Bleu Paris. “It is astonishment that predominates”, relates for his part The Parisian.
Beyond the choice not to exercise the option included in his contract, the choice of Kylian Mbappé surprises with its timing: the PSG striker could wait until July 31 to inform his management whether he wanted to lift – or not – this clause for an additional year. Beyond this date, it would have been tacitly recorded that “Kyky” would not remain in the Parisian club until 2025, without it being necessary to formalize this in writing.
There, the story is different: the summer transfer window officially opened a few days ago, on June 10, and Kylian Mbappé’s letter sent to his club two days later, on June 12. This letter was also “sent to the media” on Monday, according to information from the sports management of Radio France. “An act deemed strange by the Parisian club”.
The player and his entourage denied this on Tuesday: in a press release sent to AFP, they “regret that the receipt of this letter was broadcast to the media and that these exchanges are made public for the sole purpose of harming their image and the good progress of the discussions with the club.”
“No possible new extension mentioned”
This letter does not facilitate the business of PSG, faced with a dilemma: extend Kylian Mbappé or transfer him this summer. The capital club, which had spent 180 million euros to buy him from AS Monaco in 2017, should in any case not take the risk of letting him go free in a year – therefore without receiving compensation. transfer – to another European club.
The French striker therefore puts the capital club up against the wall but denies any surprise effect with this letter, as evidenced by its first official communication on the subject. The player and his entourage claim that “the management of the club in charge of his extension” was informed as of “July 15, 2022 of his decision (not to go beyond 2024, editor’s note) and the mail was only objective of confirming what had already been clarified orally beforehand.”
“Kylian Mbappé and his entourage say they have never discussed this point again with the club during the year, except 15 days ago to announce the sending of the letter. No possible new extension has, moreover, discussed,” the statement added. “After having already publicly stated in recent weeks that he will be a Parisian next season, Kylian Mbappé has not asked to leave this summer but has just confirmed to the club the non-activation of his additional year.”
It is likely that the context of the past season is not unrelated to the choice of Kylian Mbappé either: PSG has certainly won – in difficulty – an eleventh title of champion of France, but it has again failed at the stage of the eighth final in the Champions League, against Bayern Munich. In addition, “the 2022-2023 season, punctuated by what the captain of the Blues perceived as unfulfilled promises in terms of recruitment last summer, has left its mark”, explains the newspaper L’Équipe.
This pessimistic inventory could have even more unfortunate consequences for the sports organization of PSG. When the club’s leaders extended the player a year ago, they made him the central element of their project… But a year later, Kylian Mbappé’s future in Paris seems to be more in dotted lines than on of the long term.
The Parisian management, which has shown firmness in the management of the case of Lionel Messi in recent weeks, now seems ready to assert itself against its star striker. The club’s entourage insisted, Monday evening in L’Équipe, on its ability to adapt and not depend only on a “single player”. “In the phase they want to open, the owners place a lot of emphasis on creating a collective and not on a collection of players.”
PSG is also already active in the summer transfer window: former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann is expected to take his place on the Parc des Princes bench, Manuel Ugarte and Marco Asensio expected to commit soon with the Parisian club… But “a project with or without Mbappé is not the same”, underlines the sports daily.
A departure for Real Madrid this summer? Kylian Mbappé denies
In the event of departure this summer, the club which wishes to enlist Kylian Mbappé in its ranks will have to pay a substantial sum to buy out the last year of the French player’s contract. “Kyky” logically remains one of the best valued players on the transfer market due to his athletic performance and his young age (24).
According to the reference site Transfermarkt, its current value would be 180 million euros while the Football Observatory of the CIES (International Center for Sports Studies) evaluates it at 160 million euros. Mbappé is only 10e of a ranking dominated by the Norwegian Erling Haaland (245.1 million euros) ahead of the Brazilian from Real Madrid Vinicius (196.3 million euros) and the English winger from Arsenal Bukayo Saka (195.8 million euros). The relative weakness of its rating is mainly explained by the remaining one-year term of his contract with PSG.
Several clubs have sufficient financial capacity to welcome the PSG striker this summer, starting with Real Madrid. Already approached to welcome Kylian Mbappé last year, the White House would be… again in pole position for the transfer of the Parisian striker this summer, according to Le Parisien. “While two weeks ago no one imagined the legend Karim Benzema turning his back on Real Madrid, the place he frees up in attack arouses the greed of the 2018 world champion”, writes the daily.
The principal concerned denied this information shortly after on Twitter, speaking of “LIES” and adding: “At the same time the bigger it is the more it passes. I have already said that I will continue next season at PSG”.
LIES…❌
At the same time, the bigger it is, the more it passes. I have already said that I will continue next season at PSG where I am very happy. https://t.co/QTsoBQvZKU— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) June 13, 2023
The English clubs, with their unparalleled financial power, also have the means to get into the race to recruit him. But Kylian Mbappé has never hidden his desire to one day play for the club in the Spanish capital. Madrid President Florentino Perez said recently that this transfer would not take place this year“. Denying Wednesday, “Kyky” said he was “very happy” in Paris. But the summer promises to be long at PSG.
With AFP
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