Kylian Mbappe has told Paris Saint-Germain he will not take up the option of a 12-month extension on his contract, which expires at the end of next season, according to multiple reports.
The reports added that the France superstar confirmed his decision in a letter to PSG, who are adamant they won’t let Mbappe leave as a free agent, raising the possibility of immediate moves by other clubs and a potential transfer this summer.
Mbappe refused to discuss his PSG future following their Champions League round-of-16 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich in March, another disappointing exit from Europe’s top club competition.
The French club, which is owned by Qatar Sports Investments, has already seen Lionel Messi leave for nothing in return, with the Argentine great making a stunning move to MLS team Inter Miami.
There is also uncertainty about the future of another PSG star in Brazil international Neymar.
But the potential departure of the 24-year-old Mbappe would be the greatest loss to PSG, given that he is a national icon and widely considered one of the few players capable of taking over from Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the game’s biggest star.
Mbappe had until July 31 to trigger a one-year extension to his contract. He has been at the club since 2017 after signing from AS Monaco in a transfer worth a reported $190 million.
Last year, PSG turned down a bid of $190m from Real Madrid for the World Cup-winning forward, who went on to sign his current contract.
The young striker is likely to be linked with a move to Madrid, particularly after Karim Benzema left the La Liga giants for Saudi Arabian team Al-Ittihad.
Madrid has already agreed to a deal for England midfielder Jude Bellingham. The potential acquisition of Mbappe would be a major statement of intent after they relinquished their LaLiga and Champions League titles this year.
PSG were planning a change of strategy after moves for the biggest stars failed to bring success in Europe. The new focus would be on young, French talent. Mbappe was expected to be at the heart of that shift and it had been hoped he would sign a longer-term contract.
Mbappe has won five French league titles with PSG and was a World Cup winner with France in 2018.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.
