Just days ago, Real Madrid were confident they could snatch Kylian Mbappe from the claws of Paris Saint Germain. So much so that several reports claimed the Frenchman had already agreed to a deal to join the Spanish giants in what would have been a blockbuster move, albeit a free one. It seemed like it was done, apparently, it wasn’t. According to Sky Italy, Kylian Mbappe has made a shocking u-turn on his decision and has opted to sign a new contract and stay at the Parc des Princes.
PSG had rejected a mammoth bid of over £200M from Madrid in January, and for a long time, it seemed they had bad karma and would rue that decision with Mbappe stalling on his contract renewal. It has to be said, when Real Madrid comes calling, it is hard to ignore the pull of the revered Santiago Bernabeu. The 23-year-old took time to himself to decide with his family, and it seems the french outfit have won the battle for the French superstar.
Kudos to PSG. Never has a club fought harder to keep their star man. They did everything, and their unrelenting pressure has yielded positive results. There are suggestions that the French giants are willing to make the 23-year-old their highest-earning player by offering him terms higher than Lionel Messi and Neymar’s respective contracts. Multiple reports also claimed that French President Emmanuel Macron has attempted to persuade Mbappe, with whom he has a friendship, to remain in Paris and reject the approach from the Spanish capital.
The U-turn would end a year-long transfer saga that generated several speculations on what Mbappe’s choice would be. He is regarded as one of the world’s greatest players of his generation. Power play from each side significantly raised the stakes, with Madrid offering a bank-shattering, record-breaking bid and PSG risking missing out on a world-record transfer fee for a player who may have ultimately left on a free transfer. It was a huge gamble on the part of the French champions. However, as things stand, it appears such a bold move has paid off.
Real Madrid are not totally out of the equation yet. Mbappe’s mother claims her son now has an agreement with both clubs, and it is left to him to decide where his future lies. “We have an agreement with both Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. Kylian will now decide. The two offers from PSG and Real Madrid are identical. It is up to Kylian now. He will make a decision”.
Mbappe was instrumental in PSG’s title-winning campaign. He lit up Paris, and the world of football, accumulating a staggering 36 goals and 26 assists in 45 appearances in all competitions. Since joining from Monaco in 2017, the Frenchman has netted 168 goals and provided 87 assists in 216 games across his five seasons at the club.
