Kylian Mbappe, the star footballer of African descent, has turned down the possibility of transferring to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, indicating that he may be eyeing a move to Real Madrid as a free agent at the end of the upcoming season. PSG, his current club, fears that Mbappe has already struck a deal with Real Madrid, prompting them to put him up for sale.
Officials from Al Hilal had traveled to Paris with hopes of enticing Mbappe to join their club, offering PSG a staggering €300 million euros ($332.6 million US dollars) for the France captain. However, Mbappe’s representatives have firmly rejected any discussions with the Saudi club, stating that the 24-year-old has never considered the option.
Mbappe’s contract with PSG is set to expire in one year, and the French champions want to avoid losing him on a free transfer next summer. Despite their efforts to negotiate a new contract, the young forward is adamant about not signing an extension. This has fueled speculations that he is preparing to join Real Madrid without any transfer fee involved.
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The situation reached a peak when PSG omitted Mbappe from their squad for the tour to Japan and South Korea. There have even been suggestions that he could face exclusion from the team for an entire year if a resolution isn’t reached.
Having scored 212 goals in 260 appearances, Mbappe remains PSG’s all-time top scorer and the second most expensive player in history, only behind his teammate Neymar. His potential departure would be a significant loss for PSG, especially after Lionel Messi left to join MLS franchise Inter Miami.
Al Hilal, owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), has been active in the transfer market, signing players like Kalidou Koulibaly and Ruben Neves earlier in the summer. However, their pursuit of Mbappe seems to have hit a roadblock, leaving Real Madrid with a chance to secure the young talent on a free transfer next year.
