The season is far from over but it is being reported that the Real Madrid dressing room has been told to prepare for the arrival of French forward Kylian Mbappe. The Paris Saint-Germain striker was in the news last week after he told the club that he will not renew his contract for another year, and will leave this summer as a free agent.
Naturally, after that news came out, it was nearly impossible not to mention Real Madrid in the same breath. However, it has to be said that Mbappe himself has not confirmed any plans about his future club, and Real Madrid has so far remained mum on the matter as well.
Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti has insisted on focusing on the current campaign and his current roster of players whenever he is quizzed about Mbappe during press conferences. However, Footmercato claims that club president Florentino Perez has spoken to the players and informed them about Mbappe's impending arrival.
If the report is to be believed, then Perez may have already reached an agreement with the player. However, the same kind of report has come out through almost every single transfer window for the past two years at least.
It may be remembered that Mbappe was expected to sign with Real Madrid back in 2022, but he instead signed a contract extension with PSG. That contract expires in June 2024, with an option to extend until 2025.
Last summer, it is understood that PSG put Mbappe under a lot of pressure to pick up the option to extend, but that did not happen. Last week, the player reportedly informed PSG CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi that he has decided to leave. He started from the bench on Saturday in PSG's Ligue 1 match against Nantes, leading many to think that he is being punished. However, other reports are stating that he was merely rested following his mid-week Champions League appearance.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid's offer is reportedly already at the hands of Mbappe's camp, and only a few loose ends are being tied up. Real Madrid fans are wary of the situation, after having been burnt badly during the summer of 2022. No one is celebrating just yet, and it is unclear if it is a good idea to inform the players of Mbappe's arrival this early.
The club is in the middle of a gruelling La Liga title battle with underdogs Girona, and have just dropped points in their draw against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday afternoon. They are also still in contention for the UEFA Champions League title, where they are chasing a record-extending fifteenth trophy.
Meanwhile, PSG also have the domestic title at stake, and they are hoping to win their maiden UCL title this year. They have come close on a few occasions, and Mbappe will likely want to leave the club with significant new additions to the trophy cabinet.
