Why did PSG’s Kylian Mbappe turn down Al Hilal’s 300 million euros bid? | Football News
The Kylian Mbappe summer transfer rollercoaster took an interesting turn when L’Équipe reported that the French superstar has refused any discussion with Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal just a couple of days after PSG had agreed to an eye watering 300 million euros bid.Mbappe, who reportedly has his heart set on a move to Real Madrid after refusing to sign a contract extension at PSG, would have become the highest paid footballer with a salary of €700m in a year if he had accepted the deal. But there would have been a lot of problems attached to it. Here’s breaking them down:
Mbappe and his club Paris Saint Germain have been in a power struggle of epic proportions since the day the French superstar made it clear to PSG that he will not sign a contract extension with them. PSG, meanwhile, had asked Mbappe to sign the new contract July 15 or be transfer led. After nary a response from Mbappe’s side, the French club stayed firm to their words and put the World Cup winning superstar on sale rather than having to lose him for free next summer.
Paris St Germain’s Kylian Mbappe during training. (Reuters)
Al Hilal stepped in at the opportune time and placed the world record bid with even a Real Madrid clause attached to the contract. The clause reportedly stated that Mbappe would be free to go to Spain after one season in the middle-east if Real Madrid came calling in 2024.
Why did Mbappe reportedly turn down the Al Hilal offer?
Mbappe, one of the best footballers of our time, had the option of going to Saudi Arabia instead of sitting on the bench at PSG for 1 year but he decided against it. Reason? Well, firstly, Mbappe is just 24 years old and has always harboured a dream of winning the Champions League which is the only trophy missing from his cabinet which includes the World Cup. That is the reason he has always been linked to Real, a club that has won 14 UCL titles. To go to Saudi for one year would mean to say goode to those dreams for at least one year.
Secondly, as per sources, Mbappe has already made a deal with Real to go to the Spanish capital once his contract with PSG expires in 2024. If he does go there, he’ll be getting a signing-on fee of €160m. Plus, if he stays in PSG till August 1, the Paris club will also be forced to pay him a loyalty bonus of €60m.
Thirdly, even if we discount the money which he’ll make if he stays put, Mbappe would find it pretty difficult to come back to Europe after a year at the Middle-East and acclimatize himself in the brand of high tempo football which is miles ahead in terms of quality that the Saudi Pro League has to offer.
Can Real Madrid come for Mbappe this season?
Yes, Real can come for Mbappe this season but logic states that they won’t. Why would they go and pay close to 200 million euros for a player who they can have for free next summer? Additionally, they just completed a record transfer deal for Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund and also offered Toni Kroos and Luka Modric 1 year contract extensions. Fiscally, going after Mbappe now won’t make sense as they can wait till next summer and offload a few players then, there clearing a portion of their wage bill to accommodate Mbappe.
🔴 Séance d’autographes et selfies de @KMbappe après son entraînement avec les « indésirables » du PSG cet après-midi
« – Kylian, tu restes à Paris ? – … »@TF1Info pic.twitter.com/FSI8R13hv9
— Léonard Attal (@leonardattal) July 22, 2023
What can PSG do in this situation?
The French champions have seemingly been rendered powerless in this whole saga due to Mbappe’s refusal to play ball. If the Al Hilal deal had gone through, it would have been perfect for PSG as they could offload a player who is not interested in staying at the club beyond this year and make a fortune off it. Now that Mbappe is staying on, it creates a conundrum for the club in the transfer market as well. As reported earlier, letting Mbappe leave for free next year would restrict PSG in the transfer market due to financial fair play rules. If Mbappe was sold this year, the Ligue 1 champions could show the sale of the French superstar and recoup some of the money back but that does not seem like a possibility now.
What can Mbappe expect now that he has stayed on?
PSG have already kept Mbappe out of the squad which is currently on a preseason tour. If he is still at the club after the transfer window slams shut, he can expect the same treatment to go on in the initial part of the season. However, as soon as the clock strikes 12 on September 1, Mbappe has the chance to file a lawsuit against PSG if he is kept out of the squad due to alleged ‘contract breaches.’ The club has also been threatened with legal action from the French footballers’ union terming the situation as ‘moral harassment’.
“These players must enjoy the same working conditions as the rest of the professional workforce. The UNFP feels it would be useful to remind managers that putting pressure on an employee – via the deterioration of their working conditions, for example – to force them to leave or accept what the employer wants constitutes moral harassment, which French law firmly condemns. The UNFP reserves the right to take civil and criminal action against any club that behaves in this way,” their statement read.
