PSG's Mbappe to Real Madrid and other epic transfer sagas

Posted Saturday, February 17, 2024 by ESPN

With news that Kylian Mbappe has informed Paris Saint-Germain of his intention to leave the club this summer and sign for Real Madrid, fans around the world can now breathe a collective sigh of relief that the end is finally nigh for one of the modern game's most protracted transfer sagas.

Mbappe's contract is set to expire at the end of the season and it would appear that the striker has finally decided the time is right to join Los Blancos, the one club he has been relentlessly linked with more than any other over the past few years.

Sources told ESPN's Julien Laurens this month that Mbappe had made a final decision over his future and that he was eager to move to the Bernabeu, though the 25-year-old had not informed either club as to his career aspirations.

But on Thursday Mbappe verbalised his intentions to PSG and, in all likelihood, will join Madrid when he becomes a free agent in June, thus bringing to a merciful end the Spanish giant's prolonged pursuit of the coveted France international.

Mbappe has made no secret of his desire to play for Real Madrid and even had a trial with them as a young teenager in 2012. Strange to think that, had Real opted to take the plunge back then, they may have saved themselves (and all of us) an awful lot of time, money and effort.

The story joins the list of strung-out sagas that we've had to endure for whole summers, entire seasons and even longer in recent years -- some of which never even made it out of the gossip columns.

We can soon put the Kylian Mbappe transfer saga to bed -- as long as Real Madrid keep up their end of the bargain and actually sign him now he has told Paris Saint-Germain that he is leaving.