Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has confirmed he wants to keep Kylian Mbappe beyond this summer.
Mbappe has entered the final six months of his contract and is once again free to discuss a move overseas, with long-term admirers Real Madrid leading the charge for the Frenchman’s signature.
Reports claiming Mbappe has already agreed to join Madrid were recently dismissed by the forward’s representatives, however, with the 25-year-old publicly confirming he is yet to reach a decision.
Al-Khelaifi has now vowed to continue the fight for Mbappe, insisting he would be happier if he remained in Paris.
“Of course I want Kylian to stay, that’s for sure,” Al-Khelaifi told Rothen s’enflamme.
“He’s the best player in the world, and the best club for Kylian is Paris. He’s at the centre of everything.”
While PSG remain hopeful of keeping Mbappe, the French giants are not concerned by the prospect of losing him on a free transfer after an agreement was reached with Mbappe last summer which protects their finances.
Mbappe has signed a legally binding agreement which would see him return up to €80m (£69m) if he departs this summer, while he also gave up some of a loyalty bonus last year which will only be returned to him if he signs an extension.
Any new deal would likely run until 2025, although a longer extension which would focus on facilitating a future transfer is also a possibility.
Meanwhile, Madrid remain keen to secure Mbappe’s signature, having missed out in 2022 when he signed a surprise extension in Paris.
What we know
- Mbappe has entered the final six months of his contract with PSG
- Real Madrid are long-term admirers but reports of an existing agreement have been shut down
- President Nasser Al-Khelaifi hopes to convince Mbappe to stay.