Paris Saint-Germain have been left ‘surprised’ after Kylian Mbappe informed the club that he won’t extend his current contract.
Mbappe’s future has been a continued source of speculation in recent transfer windows with the forward having been linked with an exit from PSG last summer, before signing a new deal at the Parc des Princes.
That contract was a two-year deal with the option to extend for a further season, but L’Equipe have this week reported that Mbappe has sent a formal letter to Paris Saint-Germain informing the Ligue 1 champions that he will not trigger the one-year option.
The situation means Mbappe will be free to leave PSG as a free agent in 2024, though the Parisian club’s stance is to sell the France captain this summer if he is unwilling to sign new terms. PSG are not prepared to lose the 24-year-old on a free transfer and Mbappe’s decision means he could now leave in the upcoming transfer window.
Real Madrid are long-term admirers of the forward and could launch a move to sign Mbappe, following Karim Benzema’s exit from the Bernabeu.
Mbappe is PSG’s all-time record goalscorer and has scored 212 goals in 260 games for the club. He has finished as Ligue 1’s leading scorer in five consecutive campaigns, but PSG’s lack of progress in the Champions League has contributed to his decision not to sign a new contract.
Mbappe’s exit would be a major blow to the Parisians’ project, with Get Football News France reporting that PSG’s owners have been left ‘surprised’ and ‘confused’ by the formal letter from the forward this week.
PSG will demand a fee in excess of £160m for Mbappe from interested clubs, despite his contract situation.
