Kylian Mbappe will leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season.
The 24-year-old’s contract at the club expires in the summer and the expectation has been that he would depart as a free agent, with a move to Real Madrid the most likely outcome.
Mbappe has now told PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi that he will leave the club this summer, though an announcement is not expected in the near future and could still be months away.
The terms of his departure are yet to be agreed, but it is accepted that his seven-year spell in Paris is coming to an end.
Mbappe signed a two-year contract at PSG in the summer of 2022, having seemingly been set to join Real. It’s believed he personally called president Florentino Perez to inform him of the decision to stay at PSG.
The Frenchman had an option to extend his current deal by a further season, though the deadline for that passed on July 31 last year.
While Real are the favourites to sign Mbappe, it is not yet a done deal and their proposal is lower than the one offered two years ago. Recent reports have suggested he is open to joining Arsenal or Liverpool. However, the two Premier League sides are unwilling to meet the huge financial demands.
Saudi club Al-Hilal submitted a €300m offer for Mbappe in the summer, with PSG giving them permission to talk to the forward, but that move did not materialise.
Instead, he now appears likely to finally become a Real player at the end of the season, and his departure will save PSG €200m per year. The club want more of a focus on youth in the coming years, rather than big-name signings.
Mbappe has 31 goals in 30 appearances for PSG this season, scoring in their first-leg win over Real Sociedad in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The Ligue 1 leaders are big favourites to complete the job in Spain and reach the quarter-finals, as Mbappe has one final chance to lead PSG to the first Champions League title that they crave so much.
