January 15, (THEWILL) – Kylian Mbappe, French forward at the centre of a contract tussle between Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain and La Liga giants Real Madrid, is reportedly in talks about extending his contract beyond the summer in France albeit briefly.
The 23-year-old is in the final six months of his contract and is widely expected to leave and join Real Madrid in the summer. Last summer, Los Blancos attempted to buy him outright, but they could not and feel they will get him this time.
However, PSG has not given up hope and is still negotiating with Mbappe about a contract extension and talks regarding a short-term extension have resumed given that Mbappe is open to the prospect of staying at PSG longer.
What this signifies for his long-term prospects, though, is debatable. PSG director Leonardo previously revealed that Mbappe has promised never to leave the club for free, implying that he may sign an extension solely to force Real to make an offer and buy him in the traditional manner.
Real are unconcerned by the current events and remain optimistic in their ability to sign Mbappe before the end of the season. They are allowing him as much time as he needs to make his decision, but they believe he will choose the Santiago Bernabeu when the time comes.
PSG’s Mbappe dilemma is comparable to that of Borussia Dortmund attacker Erling Haaland, with neither club willing to part with their prized talents for less than their genuine value.
The clubs may not have a say in the end, given the former can leave for free this summer, while the latter has a £63 million release clause in his contract, which will almost definitely be exercised.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
