Mbappe casts doubt over future by stalling on new PSG contract
Kylian Mbappe has thrown his future into doubt by continuing to resist signing a new deal at Paris St-germain. The chances of the forward staying are now rated at only 50/50, with Mbappe having just 15 months left on his contract.
PSG have been trying to tie the 22-year-old down to a new deal for more than a year but, unlike with Neymar, who is also out of contract in June 2022, talks have not progressed. It has reached a stage where there is genuine concern that Mbappe wants to leave this summer.
In January the World Cup winner said he was “thinking very hard” about his future, and it is understood that the uncertainty brought about by the pandemic means that continues to be the case.
If Mbappe were made available, there would be an extraordinary scramble to sign him from Europe’s leading clubs, at a time when the focus has been on another brilliant young attacker, Erling Haaland.
PSG remain hopeful Mbappe will decide to stay, but are far more optimistic that they will be able to soon announce a long-term contract with Neymar, who recently turned 29 and would probably see out the rest of his career in Paris. There is no doubt that, two summers ago and urged by
Lionel Messi, Neymar agitated for a return to Barcelona and, at that time, PSG were torn, given the worries over his contribution to the team. Those concerns evaporated in the run to the Champions League final last season, and while this has been a difficult campaign, PSG believe the Brazilian remains committed and has emerged as a team leader. Despite being a PSG fan, Mbappe has made no secret of the fact that he may eventually play elsewhere, and there is concern that he has become distracted. Mbappe joined PSG from Monaco in 2017 for £166million. PSG would expect a fee significantly in excess of €100million (£87million) for him, even though he is going into the final year of his contract at the end of this season and the financial problems caused by Covid. Mbappe starred in PSG’S 3-2 win away to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, scoring twice. But his form has been inconsistent this season.
There are understood to be three scenarios ahead for Mbappe: he signs a new long-term contract; he renews for just one or two years; or he leaves, even though PSG do not want to sell and may let him go into the final year of his deal.