mbappe-2.jpg
Getty Images

It's going to be an intense end of summer in the world of transfers because of one name -- Kylian Mbappe. The Paris Saint-Germain star was left off of the roster traveling for their preseason tour in Japan and South Korea. This was just the latest development in a story that started around two years ago when PSG decided to keep Mbappe despite the interest coming from Real Madrid and a contract due up in the summer of 2022. 

In the end, the French superstar extended his deal and didn't join the Blancos as a free agent, as many expected he would. Mbappe committed to his team for two more years with an option to extend the contract until the summer of 2025. 

However, a few weeks ago, Mbappe announced his decision to not trigger the option included in the contract, making it clear that he's preparing to leave the club as a free agent in the summer of 2024 but at the same time said that his intention was to stay at the club for another season. 

Club owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi was also very clear and answered back during the unveiling of new coach Luis Enrique that "the best player in the world doesn't leave the club for free." From that moment on the situation escalated until PSG excluded Mbappe from the preseason tour, adding more tension in this delicate environment just a few weeks after Argentinian striker Lionel Messi decided to leave for Inter Miami.

PSG's position remained the same as before and is that Mbappe can stay and be part of the project moving forward if he extends his current deal beyond its summer 2024 expiration. On Monday, CBS Sports soccer insiders Fabrizio Romano and James Benge reported that Al Hilal have submitted a €300 million world-record bid to sign Kylian Mbappe this summer for one season, offering the player a one-year offer of €700 million after which Mbappe could leave for as a free agent and potentially join Real Madrid. A package valued at $1.1 billion that would set a new bar in terms of transfer values. 

This incredible and unexpected billion-dollar offer would prevent PSG from getting nothing for him and also would avoid Mbappe from joining Real Madrid directly from the French side after the two clubs' ownerships have had issues over the past years, such as the creation (and also disruption) of the Super League project. Also, reports suggest that PSG have already accepted the Saudi bid (as predictable) and granted permission to the player to speak about personal terms.

While the will of the player is still to be understood, Real Madrid haven't showed interest in landing him this summer just yet, knowing that they can get him as a free agent in less than twelve months. Real Madrid's president Florentino Perez, when asked about Mbappe, always showed confidence about the fact that one day he will join the Spanish giants. Even when last summer Mbappe extended his deal with PSG, reports claimed that he never lost his confidence that it will happen sooner or later. 

It seems clear that while the long-term future of Mbappe is still uncertain, in the immediate future, the chances to see him playing for Real Madrid have not changed much. It's still expected.

A PSG departure also seems increasingly likely at this stage as a seismic move could not be far off.