The French striker was not called up to participate in the club’s tour of Japan on Friday. The “player is for sale now”, according to information from Radio France.
The showdown between Paris Saint-Germain and Kylian Mbappé took an unexpected turn on Friday July 21. The capital club has decided to do without the services of its star striker for its tour of Japan, which begins on Monday. The 24-year-old is “for sale now“, learned the sports management of Radio France from a source close to the club, Friday July 21. Franceinfo sport answers the main questions that arise around this new episode of the soap opera between the club and the captain of the France team.
Why does Nasser Al-Khelaïfi start an arm wrestling match?
“PSG has its feet and hands tied”, explained sports economist Mickaël Terrien to us, after the ultimatum issued by Nasser Al-Khelaïfi at a press conference in early July. The Parisian president had revealed to wait for the decision of the native of Bondy in “maximum two weeks”, i.e. before July 31. While the player’s contract ends at the end of June 2024, the person concerned notified the club, in June, its decision not to activate the option for an additional year.
As revealed by the sports management of Radio France, the contractual situation of the Frenchman has not changed since his return to training on Monday. The club will therefore discuss with potential buyers from August 1, once his contract extension option expires.
Why is Kylian Mbappé not on the list of players leaving for Japan?
By setting a deadline for the captain of the France team, the Parisian president had already wanted to prove “that the institution is strong, possibly pushing for a departure by giving the impression that PSG is not completely losing”, Mickael Terrien explained to us.
The non-selection of Kylian Mbappé for the tour in Japan goes in the same direction. It allows the club to do a double blow: on the one hand, to put pressure on the player, on the other hand, to show that PSG keeps the cards in hand.
“No one is above the club”recalled Nasser Al-Khelaïfi during a training session on Tuesday, in comments relayed by France Bleu Paris. The star will therefore remain in Paris with players considered undesirable (Argentinian midfielder Paredes, German winger Julian Draxler), which PSG wants to get rid of.
Kylian Mbappé has so far not reacted. “My objective [est] to continue, to stay at the club, it’s my only option at the moment”he said in mid-June during a press conference with the Blues.
Why does PSG absolutely want to sell Kylian Mbappé this summer?
The fear of seeing one of the best players in the world leave for free next year is enough to justify the pressure put on by Paris Saint-Germain. The value of Kylian Mbappé is estimated at 180 million euros, according to the reference site Transfermarkt. PSG had already had to face a similar problem last year: at the end of the contract, the 2018 world champion was given away at Real Madrid, before finally choosing to stay in Paris.
For Christophe Lepetit, sports economist, the best option for the capital club would be “probably Mbappé will exercise his option for an additional year”with a current contract then until June 30, 2025, “and to transfer it next summer”. “Replacing him will take time and surely substantial resources, which a sale of the player next summer would be likely to offer”continues the expert.
For now, the trend has turned to an immediate sale of Kylian Mbappé. The sooner his transfer will be decided, the sooner PSG will start the process to find a replacement for the 24-year-old player. However, “Kylian Mbappé belongs to the category of star players on the transfer market, that is to say that he is not very substitutable for other players”recalls Christophe Lepetit.