French newspaper L’Equipe gave an update on Kylian Mbappe’s contract predicament.
The Paris Saint Germain superstar’s contract is due to expire in June 2022, and it’s approaching the time when a decision has to be made. The Ligue 1 side’s sporting director Leonardo Araujo told France Bleu 11 days ago that: “We are going to arrive at the moment where we have to take a position and a decision.”
However, while the club’s hierarchy are in a rush to get a decision out of their star man, Mbappe himself is quite keen on playing the waiting game for longer, claim the newspaper, citing a source close to the saga who said: “Given what is at stake, the club is forced to act this way. With this sort of player, it should almost be illegal to find yourself in a situation where they have less than two years on their contract.”
That was certainly a critic of the way PSG have handled the contract, and it almost hints at the end result not going to plan for the Parisians. The daily outlet say PSG have offered Mbappe a contract of four or five years, and have put a salary on the table which the player considers very interesting.
But the 22-year old still wants to think, as he has twice publicly stated to the media in the past month. The newspaper adds that as of now, Mbappe does not have guarantees that his long sporting goals are necessarily aligned with remaining in Ligue 1 for another four to five years, hence why he’s deep in thought about his future.
And in fact, L’Equipe closed their update with something that could be music to ears of Real Madrid’s leaders. They say that ‘currently, the most likely is a status quo – meaning no departure in 2021 but no extension either. This would be until the summer, and maybe even beyond that.’
Spanish daily MARCA’s Jose Felix Diaz last week reported that Madrid would be willing to pay what PSG demand for Mbappe in 2021, as long as he doesn’t renew. But reports in Spain also suggest that Erling Braut Haaland could be the main target in 2021 for Los Merengues, and therefore, signing Mbappe for free in 2022 when his PSG contract has ended, could be a masterstroke for the Spanish club.
It must be said that the usually reliable Deportes COPE journalist Arancha Rodriguez has repeatedly claimed on her YouTube channel that Haaland in 2021 and Mbappe for free in 2022 is a likelier outcome than many want to believe, and she added that Madrid will sign a superstar forward this summer.
