Kylian Mbappe transfer latest: PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi reveals 'agreement' with Real Madrid target and insists pair have 'very good relationship'

Posted Wednesday, January 10, 2024 by Goal.com

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has weighed in on the Kylian Mbappe exit rumours, revealing the pair have a "gentlemen's agreement".

Mbappe out of contract in summer
Free to talk with other clubs
PSG president reveals "gentlemen's agreement"

WHAT HAPPENED?

The mercurial Frenchman is set to be the subject of yet another transfer saga after it was revealed his contract at the Parisian club expires in six months' time. Mbappe is now technically free to start negotiating deals with other clubs, with Real Madrid and Liverpool the frontrunners to land his signature. The possibility of him staying at PSG still exists, of course, something which president Al-Khelaifi alluded to in a recent interview.

WHAT AL-KHELAIFI SAID

The PSG chief told RMC Sport on Tuesday: "I'm not going to hide things. Of course I want Kylian to stay, that's for sure. He's the best player in the world, and the best club for Kylian is Paris. He's at the centre of everything. It's simple. I have a very good relationship with him. A great player and a great person. He spoke after the Champions Trophy match and said he had an agreement with me. He did. It is an agreement. More of a gentlemen's agreement than a signed one. There aren't too many negotiations at the moment.

"Today, he's 25, he's still young. He can still win a lot of trophies with us and the French team. He has the best training centre in the world, and the best coach too. And every year, we play in the Champions League and we go very far. We're with the biggest clubs. Even the French league has come a long way. And with the new Champions League format, there will be more competitive matches against teams at our level. We've got a lot of important matches coming up. I'm asking everyone to leave us alone and leave Kylian alone. I have every confidence in him. He'll never do anything to harm the club. We're all part of the same family."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Khelaifi's reference to an "agreement" echoes the words of Mbappe himself, spoken after PSG's Trophee des Champions triumph over Toulouse a week ago. Those comments reportedly frustrated Real Madrid, who are looking to avoid a repeat of the failed saga of 2021 when the Frenchman rejected them at the 11th hour. Los Blancos are thought to have set a deadline of mid-January for Mbappe to make his decision this time around, although reports elsewhere suggest the 25-year-old will decide sometime in February, before the Champions League last 16.

WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

Unlike in 2021, though, it looks like Real Madrid may face competition from Premier League giants Liverpool. Mbappe is thought to "admire" Jurgen Klopp's side, and it has been claimed the Frenchman was left unhappy with the January ultimatum set by Madrid. In any case, it could be a while before this saga reaches a definitive conclusion.