Mercato PSG: Can Kylian Mbappe sign in Saudi Arabia?

A few weeks ago, this outcome seemed unimaginable: Will Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe leave his Saudi Arabia contract? The hypothesis gained momentum this Monday, July 24th. Paris Saint-Germain has authorized Saudi club Al-Hilal to discuss a transfer offer with Kylian Mbappe in exchange for €300m compensation for the French team, according to a source close to the AFP talks, as well as several media outlets.

A crazy amount, unprecedented in the world of football, with the capital club threatening to sell the Blues captain at the end of his contract in June 2024 if he does not renew the contract. But Mbappe, promised the Ballon d’Or and still not winning the Champions League, can he really go into exile in the kingdom at just 24 years old? Even if PSG gives the go-ahead, the player will have the last word.

Financially, Saudi Arabia has assets. Since the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo in his league last January, the Gulf country has been multiplying its set of confirmed players who are developing/moving to Europe. Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Roberto Firmino, Seko Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly, Marcelo Brozovic… So many names attract millions that very few European clubs can field.

“These investments are not that high compared to the trust that Saudi Arabia is buying itself”, explained Lucas Aubin, head of the Sports and Geopolitics program at Iris, in an interview with TF1info last June. The mentioned amount of a possible transfer leaves no doubt: Saudi Arabia can offer an XXL contract to Kylian Mbappe.

He still has to accept it. And nothing in Kylian Mbappe’s recent remarks allows this to be imagined. The top scorer in PSG history, he has been repeating since last spring that he intends to continue the Paris adventure. “I’ll still be here next season”, he said at the end of May during his UNFP Trophies Player of the Season title. Rebelote a few days later, in columns Gazetta dello Sport : “I’m happy to stay in Paris next season.”

After pressure from his president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who told the press that the player must renew his contract if he wants to stay in the capital, and after he was fired from a tour of Japan, Kylian Mbappé did not speak. Thus, his official position has not changed towards leaving.

Even less so in Saudi Arabia. Because for several years the name of Kylian Mbappe has been primarily associated with … Real Madrid. You only need to re-read his message posted on Twitter in May 2022, immediately after the announcement of its extension in Paris, to understand it. Only one club is mentioned besides PSG: from the Spanish capital. “I wanted to thank Real Madrid and their president Florentino Perez.Mbappe wrote at the time. “I admit that the chance and privilege that I had was the result of the greed of such an institution. I suspect their disappointment. It depends on my hesitation.”

Quite unusual praise for a player who has never worn a white tunic, which shows the Frenchman’s respect for Real Madrid. Even Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, one of the richest clubs in the world, has no illusions. Manchester City are not interested in Kylian Mbappe, everyone knows where he wants to go., he began in June, against the inhabitants of Madrid. A source familiar with the talks also told AFP in recent days that PSG are convinced that Mbappe has already agreed to join Real Madrid on a free transfer in June 2024. All this is connected with a large signing bonus, since the “White House” in this case will save on the cost of the transfer.

After going into exile in Saudi Arabia, would Kylian Mbappe refuse the French team? It’s hard to imagine Didier Deschamps being so assertive. Firstly, since Kylian Mbappe is the Blues’ captain, his talent is no longer on display, as is his selection value (23 goals in his last 21 meetings with a shirt knocked down by a rooster).

Then because the Blues coach, who has never been without Mbappé (barring injuries) since his first choice in 2017, didn’t close the door on tricolors drawn to the Saudi purse. “I don’t have an outrageous position compared to the players who go there”he said last June. “It’s a career choice at important times for players.”

Such a choice is still fraught with certain risks, since the Saudi Arabian championship is still in the background. It is enough to look at all the lists of Didier Deschamps since 2014, Euros and World Cups combined to realize the importance of the club: all the selected players have systematically developed in the six major championships (England, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Portugal), with the exception of André-Pierre Gignac (Tigers, Mexico) in 2016. A year after Euro 2024, this should be taken into account.