Spanish giants Real Madrid are waiting to learn if long-term target Kylian Mbappe will be available to them for free next year.
The PSG star has been intensely pursued by the Spanish giants, but is almost certain to stay put in Paris this summer given he'll received a €90million (£78million) loyalty bonus for staying put. However, that would also open up the possibility of the French international heading to Real for free in 12 months time.
Mbappe's current contract runs out at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, although the 24-year-old has the option of a one year extension. However, he must decide by July whether to commit himself to the Ligue 1 champions elect until 2025, or instead be free to move elsewhere.
And according to the latest reports in L’Équipe, Mbappe is set to receive his hefty loyalty windfall for another season before leaving for nothing. It means he'll have just one more chance to help elevate the Parisians to the Champions League glory their Qatari owners crave.
Last May, the forward temporarily ended speculation of a move to join Carlo Ancelotti and co by signing a new deal with PSG, which prompted La Liga chiefs to file a complaint to UEFA regarding the financial losses of their European rivals. And the deal drew great scrutiny, given the monthly wage of £4 million made Mbappe the highest paid player of the world.
He was also given elements of managerial control, prompting criticisms of his apparent sultry behaviour on the field this season. However, his goalscoring prowess has remained, breaking the club's goalscoring record this season by striking 40 times in all competitions.
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Despite the controversy surrounding him this season, Mbappe has still managed to shine on the pitch. The 24-year-old has 40 goals to his name in all competitions, breaking the previous club record set by Edison Cavani.
But he also publicly fell out with bosses after being used as the poster boy for campaign to encourage fans to renew their season tickets. He featured at the heart of a video sent out to fans, where he was expressing his affection for the club, but later stated: “At no time was I informed of the content of the interview with my interlocutor. It looked like a basic interview at a club marketing day. I disagree with this posted video."
And there have also been a series of clashes with another of PSG's marquee stars Neymar, whose future in France is also up in the air. The superstar pairing fell out over the order of penalty-takers in one game, with the Brazilian has also endorsed a series of social media posts which appeared to criticise his teammate.
