Soap with Kylian Mbappe it lasted for several months and it seemed that everything was over, that one of the best players in the world was coming to Real as a free agent.
Even the well-informed and proverbially cautious "Marca" published his photo and a big "S" across the front page on May 17 last year, but everything changed overnight - Paris Saint-Germain, with the help of the French president Emanuel Macron, just four days later convinced his jewel to extend his contract until 2025.
Everything came to a head a month ago, when the best player of the "Saints" sent a letter to the management that he does not agree to the automatic extension from 2024 to 2025, but that he wants to leave next summer as a free agent. This caused a real storm and new accusations of the president Nasser al-Kelaifi at the expense of Mbappe's disloyalty.
The great striker repeated in all media appearances that he would not extend his contract, but that he would stay for one more season, but PSG gave him an ultimatum - either to leave now or to extend the contract. The reason lies in money, because for staying until 2024, Mbappe should receive a loyalty bonus of 150 million euros, plus another gross 72 million euros in salary.
PSG does not want that, but wants to sell him to Real for around 200 million euros, but Mbappe does not agree to that, because he would be left without the loyalty bonus, as well as the one he would get next summer if he came to the club with "clean" papers. "Santiago Bernabeu".
Because of this, the player and the club are at war through the media, and the 24-year-old Frenchman said in an interview with "France Football" that playing for PSG does not help people to like him.
"I've been scoring a lot of goals for years. It has become normal for people. I never complained. I myself was able to trivialize what they were doing Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Simply, we live in a consumer society. They will acknowledge you when you do something well, but you have to keep repeating it to be appreciated. I don't think playing for PSG helps me much, because PSG divides people. They either hate him or love him. Criticism is a normal thing and it doesn't bother me, because I know how and what I do," said Mbappe.
212 goals were scored by Kylian Mbappe in 260 games in the PSG jersey, whose best scorer in history is ahead of Edinson Cavani (200), Zlatan Ibrahimović (156), Neymar (118), Pedro Pauleta (109)...
It seems that he does not believe that with the "saints" he can win the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or, which are his wishes, which is why he is tempted by Real's invitation.
"I don't want to play just to participate in something, that's why people sometimes think I'm arrogant. I hate just participating... It's not in my nature. I am deeply convinced that I was born to win and I want to show that to everyone. I don't know what PSG needs to win the Champions League, that's not a question for me, you have to ask the people who create the team, organize everything, build that club. As for me, I just try to do my job to the best of my ability," Mbape pointed out.
His words caused a reaction in the dressing room, as six players, including two summer newcomers, complained to Al-Kelaifi.
"Sky sports" writes that the sextet distanced itself from his comments and asked that the situation be resolved before the start of the season.
New coach Luis Enrique and Al-Kelaifi have made it clear they will not let Mbappe leave for nothing next summer and have left him with the option to sign an automatic contract extension in 31 until July 2025.
The only question is - how do they plan to stop him and how will they punish him if he doesn't agree to initial or leave this summer for compensation? The only thing they could do is ban him from playing next season and force him to train with a young team, but everyone would lose - PSG, Mbappe, and football...
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