Football News

It is the worst-kept secret in world football and the biggest elephant in the room. Everyone knows Kylian Mbappé (25) will depart Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season but no one is saying it – at least officially.

Mbappé informed PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi that he would not be extending his contract in February, meaning that he would be able to leave on a free transfer at the end of the current campaign. Manager Luis Enrique has frequently said that PSG have to “get used to playing without Mbappé, sooner or later” without stating outright that the France captain will be leaving the club. 

Speaking during the international break in March, Mbappé provided little clarity on his future, simply stating that his future would be resolved before this summer’s Euros, which starts in mid-June. However, could Mbappé’s announcement now be imminent? 

It is expected that Mbappé will join Real Madrid, two years after flat-out rejecting a move to the Bernabeu, in favour of remaining at the Parc des Princes. However, there is still a possibility that PSG and Real Madrid could face off in this season’s UEFA Champions League. 

This has been delaying the announcement, according to a report from the BBC in February. However, that may no longer be an obstacle. PSG must overturn a deficit against Barcelona to progress to the semi-finals on Tuesday, whilst Real Madrid are far from guaranteed to progress too. Los Blancos head to the Etihad for the second leg of their quarter-finals against Manchester City all-square. Depending on results in the next two days, Mbappé’s long-awaited PSG departure could be made official.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Nasser Al-Khelaïfi Luis Enrique Luke Entwistle