Here we go again- the Kylian Mbappe, will he or won’t he transfer saga takes yet another turn. It was thought that the high-flying Paris Saint-Germain forward was as good as gone in the summer transfer window. Real Madrid thought they had him locked in and heading their way. Obviously, it didn’t happen that way, but in upcoming windows it was going to be Madrid bound Mbappe, right?
Nope, Mbappe instead re-upped with Paris, at the very beginning of this past summer, thus squashing any speculation before it even started. He then signed a record-breaking deal that will earn him $128 million for the 2022-23 season (according to Forbes), the most in world football.
Kylian Mbappé, not happy with Paris Saint-Germain as current situation is really tense. He wants to leave the club, as soon as possible. ??? #Mbappé
Paris Saint-Germain feel he’s really putting pressure on the club — they have no intention to sell Mbappé in January. pic.twitter.com/tETVVxB2yy
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 11, 2022
Inked until June 2025, Mbappe, according to ESPN FC: “feels at odds with the club’s direction on and off the pitch. He is open to any destination, but signing for Real Madrid would be his preference.”
So despite that sizeable signing-on fee, and input into selecting transfer targets, the manager and the club director, he still wants out.
Granted the club didn’t get him every single thing he asked for, according to reports, but the chef has no one to blame but himself once given the ingredients and kitchen he requested.
PSG director Luís Campos, for what it is worth, has disputed the Mbappe news today. “Mbappé has never told me about his intention to leave in January. We speak with him, Messi, Ney… we’re very happy to be here”, he told Canal Plus.
We’ve been down this road before, with Mbappe and PSG, and they always ended up working it out. Yes, it’s been this ugly before. Is this time different? Does he go to Madrid? What about Liverpool? He has been linked there before.
Maybe he’s perfect for Todd Boehly’s Chelsea? The silly season, yes despite it’s mid-season and pre World Cup season, is in full swing.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.