This Kylian Mbappé Saga Is Getting Tiring

Being the electric player he is, with talent attracting the most successful club in the world and the steepest dollars in soccer, French forward Kylian Mbappé has all it takes to become the most sensational signing in the game’s history.

So, the fact that Mbappé, the third highest-earning athlete on Forbes’ list this year, has been subject to arguably the most tedious transfer saga ever makes for a paradox.

Mbappé remains tied to Paris Saint-Germain amid non-stop interest from Real Madrid. To rehash the finer details, he and the Qatari-backed team are in a deadlock: Mbappé is only keen on playing in the French capital until 2024. But that would mean PSG losing him on a free transfer next summer—a financial catastrophe on the Ligue 1 champion’s part. PSG’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has now confirmed that’s not the desired outcome and is putting pressure on the superstar to decide his stance over the next two weeks, with the club open to selling if he doesn’t commit to the project.

The initial contractual plan was for the forward to extend until 2025, but that appears doubtful, meaning long-term admirer Real is watching closely as the two parties approach an ultimatum. If a massive transaction doesn’t go through this window, or Mbappé and PSG can’t find a long-term solution, he can, in theory, speak to other clubs from next January.

On Wednesday, agent Yvan LeMee—who represents Real’s Ferland Mendy—weighed in on Mbappé’s possible move to Spain. “Mbappe? He won’t arrive this summer. You go to Real Madrid because it’s the best club in the world, and you do not go for money,” he said, addressing the financial variable.

Meanwhile, the links, particularly with Madrid, persist; they are on back pages, television screens, and airwaves, staying fresh while going around in circles. Last month, Real’s president Florentino Pérez responded, “Yes, but not this year,” when approached by a supporter who, curious like everyone, opportunistically asked whether this is happening.

Considering these moving parts and takes, it’s become quite the melodrama. And however drawn out, Real and PSG fans will follow every development, no matter how minute. But it’s dragged on. While at PSG, Los Blancos have tried and failed to sign him twice, the second last year, which seemed to close the door, as he penned a bumper three-year deal to guard him in Paris until 2025. Of course, that hasn’t followed through.

In a sense, the player and the club are holding each other back. Despite his sky-high wages and the neverending talk encircling him, PSG wants to keep its most thrilling player and develop into a serious Champions League force—even though he’s not the solution alone—or lose him, but only for crazy money. As for Mbappé, whatever his preferences, one view is the striker cannot fulfill his promise in the French division, not necessarily among the European elite anymore.

While Mbappé enjoys the offseason with A-listers, much focus does revolve around the money angle. Spanish outlet Marca says Mbappé’s wage demand is €241 million ($262 million) yearly for any interested team. Portraying the star in a money-grabbing light lacks a fuller picture, however.

Growing up in the Parisien outskirts, there is a sentimental attachment to PSG, and in a 2021 interview with the French magazine Paris Match, Mbappé said, “In life, experiences are what count, more than accumulating money.” So far, his career has been plotted carefully, too: Monaco being the first stepping stone when top-rank academies were alerted by his potential as a fleet-footed youngster.

On what comes next, the situation with PSG doesn’t seem sustainable, meaning there is genuine optimism that Real can finally get its man. Regardless, Madrid courting Mbappé has lasted years, and—should he ultimately leave and pursue the challenge he’s ready for—it will simply be a relief.