Where will Mbappe play next season?

• Mbappe informs PSG he wants to leave when contract ends this summer
• What are the options for the forward’s next destination?
• Real Madrid favourites to land Mbappe

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Mbappe: Where will he be next season?

France striker Kylian Mbappe has told Paris St-Germain he intends to leave the club at the end of the season. His deal with the Ligue 1 Champions is set to expire in the summer. The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid. The Frenchman’s future was the subject of a major stand-off between the player and his representatives and PSG last summer. At one point Mbappe was exiled from the first team squad.

Mbappe has a one-year extension clause, so it is expected his departure will involve either a sale with a transfer fee or financial sacrifices for the forward. It is estimated Mbappe  earns around €200m per year (£171m). PSG are currently leading Ligue 1 and are in contention for both the Champions League and the French Cup.

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Mbappe has 243 goals and 93 assists in 290 games for PSG, who have won five Ligue 1 titles during his time at the club. He looked likely to leave PSG on a free transfer at the end of the 2021-22 season but signed a two-year contract extension, with a one-year option. It was his refusal to agree to the additional 12 months last July that caused the stand off. During this time he refused to entertain the idea of a move to the Saudi Pro League, despite a world record bid being on the table.

So what are the options for Mbappe this summer? Where will be playing next season? What will PSG do to solve the issue? Betting.com look at the different possibilities for next season.

Real Madrid

Mbappe looked destined to sign for Real Madrid in 2022. The Frenchman has been long admired by Los Blancos, he had, reportedly, agreed a financial package with both Madrid and PSG as he considered his future before the expiration of his contract with PSG in the June of that year.

Madrid had been willing to pay 150m euros (£127m) as a signing-on fee and a wage of 40m euros (£34m). Mbappe, however, chose to accept a big-money new deal and stay at PSG. Mbappe was, though, quoted as saying that the dream of playing for Real Madrid is “never over”.

Madrid needed a striker last summer, however, after the aquisition of midfielder Jude Bellingham they appeared unable to `put together a financial package for Mbappe. They have recently signed 33-year-old former Stoke City and Newcastle United striker Joselu from Espanyol.

Mbappe to Real Madrid is a story which does not go away and the summer of 2024 could be when it comes to fruition. The potential transfer of Mbappe to Los Blancos has been marked by ongoing discussions and developments. Here are the key points:

• Continuous Communication: Despite various speculations, Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid have maintained regular contact throughout the process.
• Mbappe’s Discontent: Mbappe expressed dissatisfaction with PSG’s project in the summer of 2022 and regretted renewing his contract.
• Reports of Madrid’s Interest: The Athletic reported in January 2023 that Real Madrid continued to express interest in Mbappe, despite initial doubts from the Spanish press.
• President Perez’s Involvement: Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Perez, has been directly involved in negotiations with Mbappe, a departure from his usual approach.
• Positive Feedback: Mbappe has given positive feedback to Perez regarding a potential move to Real Madrid.
• Negotiations and Deadlines: Real Madrid made a new move in negotiations, aiming to resolve the situation by mid-January. However, Mbappe’s camp requested more time to consider their options.
• Current Status: Despite earlier positive indications, the terms of Real Madrid’s offer have not convinced Mbappe’s representatives. Nonetheless, both parties remain in close contact.
• Informing PSG: Real Madrid was aware that Mbappe intended to inform PSG of his intention to leave, signaling serious consideration of a transfer.

In essence, while interest persists and discussions continue, the terms of the offer and other factors have yet to align for a potential transfer. The situation remains fluid, with further developments expected as negotiations progress. Therefore it looks highly likely that Mbappe will start next season at the Bernabeu.

Liverpool

Back in 2020 Mbappe made positive comments about Liverpool and their boss Jurgen Klopp, describing the team as “a machine” and the German as a “very good manager”. Klopp has since announced that he will leave the club this summer, however, Anfield reamains a serious option should Mbappe head to the Premier League, depending, of course, on who takes over from Klopp.

After a disappointing campaign in 2022/23, Klopp began a refresh of Liverpool’s squad this season and the Reds are the current league leaders and are in with a shout of a quadruple. Klopp’s departure at the end of the season, though, could maybe mean a change of direction regarding the rebuild. It is possible that Mohamed Salah may move on, with the club deciding that this is the best time to cash in and the player motivated by a new challenge. There was reportedly a huge bid turned down for Salah last summer and should Liverpool decide to cash in, the money could be reinvested in Mbappe.

Salah operates, in the main from the right, while Mbappe prefers to play on the left of a front three, though can also play down the middle. However, Liverpool’s forward players are very flexible and accomodating Mbappe would not appear to be a problem.

Arsenal

Arsenal joined the list of high-profile clubs who were name-dropped alongside Mbappe this week. A report from The Independent suggested that Mbappe could be attracted by the prospect of following in the footsteps of fellow France World Cup winner Thierry Henry. Financially Arsenal would have a lot of manoevering to do and while they have an exciting young team who look set to challenge for honours in the longterm, they may not be among the favourites for the Champions League in the next two or three years. Therefore it is probably not likely for Mbappe’s next stop to be Islington.

Manchester United

Manchester United are another huge club and it would definately represent a statement of intent from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who now has a 25% stake in the club and will now control the club’s football operations. However, PSP issues are affecting every team in the Premier League and the Red Devils will have to be mindful of this. Such a large deal and such large wages might not be achieveable at the moment. In additon, should United not be in the Champions League next season, which definately looks possible, then Mbappe may not see Old Trafford as a viable option. Not likely to happen.

Chelsea

Chelsea have spent hugely over the last couple of windows, to very little avail with a disappointing 12^th place finish in the Premier League. Despite the obvious appeal of a club which as won and challenged for major trophies at home and abroad over the past 20 years, their inconsistencies of the last 18 months make it difficult to imagine the deal happening.

Manchester City

A forward line containing Mbappe and Erling Haaland would be a frightening prospect for the rest of the league, however, City have other priorities in the transfer market this summer. Therefore Mbappe is unlikely to link up with Pep Guardiola at this stage.

Saudi Arabia

Teams from the Saudi Pro League have enjoyed an increasing amount of success in the transfer market since the January window.

Cristiano Ronaldo went to Saudi last January and his former Real Madrid colleague Karim Benzema followed last summer. Both are earning huge salaries and while the league was seen as a great place for a swansong for superstars, international class players at their peak, such as Portugal star Ruben Neves have followed suit. The league looks likely to grow in strength.

A club in the Saudi Pro League signing a peak Mbappe would send shockwaves throughout football, and the sporting world as a whole. There are a number of clubs in the league who could genuinely afford Mbappe, and a move there could make him one of the world’s highest paid sportsmen.

Once again, the lure of the Champions League could be a preventative factor, however, once more world class players commit to Saudi clubs, and that appears to be the way things are going, do not rule out a move of this magnitude from a Pro League club in the future. Mbappe refused to speak to clubs from the Saudi Pro League last year. This does not appear likely.

Stay at PSG

In 2022 it looked like Mbappe might be heading for the exit before he committed to PSG. He then appeared set to leave last summer until the best option for both parties was for him to remain. While this looks like the end of the road with Mbappe set to move on and the club looking to switch strategy we have been here before, therefore a U turn cannot be ruled out.

Mbappe next club odds

These are the odds from bet365 on where Mbappe will be after the Summer transfer window.

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