PSG's plot to retain Mbappe starts with clearout

Up to nine players for sale

Posted Wednesday, July 21, 2021 by Marca.com

Kylian Mbappe's future is up in the air.

After spending big for around a decade, Paris Saint-Germain seem to have changed their transfer policy since last summer as their priority at this moment is to convince Kylian Mbappe to stay at the club.

PSG invested 1.25 billion euros in signings between 2011 and 2020 but spent 62.5m euros last year and 76m euros so far this summer, with world-class players such as Sergio Ramos, Georginio Wijnaldum and Gianluigi Donnarumma signing on a free transfer.

"The new signings have a winning personality," said PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino recently.

"They have won many titles, but not at PSG. They will do everything possible to lift [trophies here too]."

PSG's plot to retain Mbappe starts with clearout

Mbappe's future

After renewing the contracts of Keylor Navas, Angel Di Maria, Juan Bernat, Julian Draxler and Neymar, PSG are hoping to do the same with Mbappe, whose deal runs until 2022.

As MARCA has reported, PSG plan to offer Mbappe the same salary as their other star, Neymar, but to do so they have to cash in on several players to free up space in their salary cap and meet the UEFA financial fair play rules.

"Clubs finances have been affected by the pandemic and that includes us as well," PSG sports director Leonardo told 'Le Journal du Dimanche' in 2020.

"If we have lost around 200 million euros? Yes, [the figure] is probably close to that. I don't think there will be transfers [worth] of 100 million euros this summer, as no one can afford to spend that amount of money, not even us.

"We have very significant losses at PSG. We will have to be more creative and find solutions that are not too expensive.

"With a few adjustments, regardless of who leaves, our team can continue to be competitive."

PSG's plot to retain Mbappe starts with clearout

According to 'L'Equipe', PSG plan to part ways with up to nine footballers. Donnarumma, Navas and Sergio Rico will be the team's three goalkeepers, so Alphonse Areola is expected to depart with the club valuing him at 15m euros.

Achraf Hakimi is considered as PSG's starter at right-back, with Abdou Diallo, Thilo Kehrer and Colin Dagba being Pochettino's alternatives, but the first two are valued at 25m euros each and could be offloaded this summer, while another defender Mitchel Bakker has already joined Bayer Leverkusen for seven million euros.

Meanwhile, Marco Verratti, Ander Herrera, Danilo and Wijnaldum are all staying at the club but midfielders such as Leandro Paredes (price tag set at 20m euros), Idrissa Gueye (15m euros) and Rafinha Alcantara (15m euros) could leave.

In attack, Mauro Icardi is up for sale with PSG asking for 40m euros, while L'Equipe report that Pablo Sarabia could depart for 22m euros and Arnaud Kalimuendo would cost potential suitors 10m euros.