Kylian Mbappe: Paris Saint-Germain grant forward permission to speak to Al Hilal after world-record bid | Transfer Centre News
Paris Saint-Germain have given Kylian Mbappe talks with Al Hilal after the Saudi club’s world-record £259million bid.
The French champions have put Mbappe up for sale and left them out of their squad for pre-season tours of Japan and South Korea, making it clear they only want to include players who are committed to the club.
Al Hilal’s record-breaking offer is not the only offer PSG have received. They have been approached with various offers including players plus cash for Mbappe, but Al Hilal have shown their intent by making a world-record bid.
Paris Saint-Germain are believed to have at least five clubs interested in signing Mbappe, including Tottenham.
There is already a “hot market” for the France captain with clubs including Chelsea, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Barcelona said to be interested.
PSG will listen to any and all offers to sell Mbappe, and if it was left to the French champions they would only sell him to the highest bidder, although other clubs would struggle to come close to Al Hilal’s offer.
The forward has one year left on his contract and is unwilling to sign a new one-year contract, with PSG believing he has already agreed to join Real Madrid on a free next summer.
However, Real may now be tempted to make a formal bid for the player to ensure they don’t miss out on him again.
Spurs are one of the Premier League clubs interested in Mbappe
PSG are determined not to lose Mbappe – who reportedly cost more than £150million when he signed from Monaco – for nothing.
Interested clubs have been alerted to the fact that PSG are also prepared to loan Mbappe out for the season.
However, Mbappe is willing to work hard, sit on the sidelines next season and leave for Madrid on a free transfer next summer.
The 24-year-old will not play for PSG again if he does not extend his contract.
Analysis: Will Mbappe agree to move to Saudi Arabia?
How Kylian Mbappe’s alleged contract offer from Al Hilal fell apart
Sky Sports News Chief Correspondent Kaweh Solhekol:
“It is all well and good that the club has given Al Hilal permission to talk to Kylian Mbappe – but does Mbappe want to talk to Al Hilal? So far there has been no indication that Mbappe is interested in moving to Saudi Arabia at this stage of his career.
“A lot of people are saying, ‘He only wants to go to Real Madrid, Al Hilal and all these other clubs are wasting their time.’ But these Saudis, sovereign wealth funds and PIFs are the same people who have effectively just bought golf. They’ve just bought an entire sport, to a large extent.
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PSG captain Marquinhos has urged the club’s board to resolve their dispute with Mbappe, which has led to the star player being put up for sale.
“They are the same people who offered Tiger Woods $700 million to sign up for the LIV Golf Tour. If they can spend $700 million on Tiger Woods, who is past his prime and nearing the end of his career, why wouldn’t they throw huge sums at Kylian Mbappé, who many would say is the best player in the world at the moment.
“Some incredible numbers are flying around. Some US outlets are reporting that Al Hilal are offering Mbappe €700m a season and saying he could go to Real Madrid. It’s not something I’ve seen. I know for certain that the offer was made by Al Hilal to PSG on Saturday for €300m.”
Saudi interest in Mbappe was ‘inevitable’
French football expert Jonathan Johnson:
“I think we can probably classify this as the best situation for PSG to receive a world-record transfer fee from a club that could potentially offer Mbappe an attractive sum in the short term – which would also put no barriers to his future desire to play for Real Madrid.
“The fact that it would be a relatively short-term deal for someone like Kylian Mbappe [also] In fact it is far more attractive than a three or four year contract.
“I also think it was inevitable at some point that Saudi Arabia was going to throw its hat in the ring and at least attempt to prize Kylian Mbappe from PSG, especially the way the situation has degenerated, certainly over the past few days.
“If the offer is solid then PSG will accept the offer and it is an indication that Kylian Mbappé would at least consider negotiating personal terms and hearing about this eye-watering offer from Saudi Arabia.”
French players’ union threatens PSG with legal action
The French players’ union has accused PSG of morally harassing Mbappe and threatened the club with legal action to protect the forward’s rights.
A statement from the Union Nationale des Footballers Professionnel (UNFP) said: “These players – all of them – should enjoy the same working conditions as the rest of the professional workforce.
“The UNFP thinks it would be useful to remind managers that putting pressure on an employee – for example, through a deterioration in their working conditions – to force them to leave or to accept what the employer wants is moral harassment, which French law strongly condemns.
“So, yes, the UNFP reserves the right to take civil and criminal action against any club that behaves in this manner.”
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