Kylian Mbappe is locked in a contract dispute with PSG, the French Ligue 1 champions. Relations between the two deteriorated last month when the French star said he would not renew his contract, which expires at the end of next season, allowing him to go for free in June 2024. If Mbappe decides to leave PSG before the end of his contract, the French club will be unable to reclaim any of the 180 million euros ($197 million) they paid to get him.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, on the other hand, has stated publicly that the club would not allow him to depart for free.
The Brazilian said to L'Equipe, "I think it's time for Mbappe to go, no matter what, for the good of PSG."
🚨💣 Leonardo (former PSG director): "PSG existed before Mbappé and will exist after him. He's been here for 6 seasons, and 5 clubs won the UCL in that time. None of those clubs had Mbappé." pic.twitter.com/AzQTGzNE0g
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) July 9, 2023
Paris Saint-Germain has existed and will continue to exist without Kylian Mbappe. He has lived in Paris for six years, during which time five separate teams—Real Madrid in 2018 and 2022, Liverpool in 2019, Bayern Munich in 2020, Chelsea in 2021, and Manchester City in 2023—have won the Champions League without Mbappe.
Therefore, he explained, "it's completely conceivable to win this tournament without him.
PSG have won nine of the previous 11 Ligue 1 titles, but Mbappe is dissatisfied with their UEFA Champions League achievements, a tournament the Parisian club has never won despite all of their investment in the group. In reality, PSG exited the Champions League in the last 16 this year after being defeated by Bayern Munich, failing to score in both legs. Mbappe was wounded in the first leg and described himself as "helpless" in the second.
Kylian Mbappe has stated that playing with PSG is not beneficial.
Being part of PSG does not help much because it's a divisive team," he told France Football magazine. He didn't go into detail.