Kylian Mbappe has returned to training with Paris Saint-Germain’s first team squad and may even extend his contract at the club because of Neymar’s potential exit and the arrival of his close friend Ousmane Dembele at the Parc des Princes, according to Footmercato.
Mbappe had been training with PSG’s ‘undesirables’ and watched Saturday’s Ligue 1 season opener – a 0-0 draw with Lorient – from the stands with Dembele.
Whereas Dembele hadn’t yet been cleared to feature for his new team after completing a €50 million ($55 million) transfer from FC Barcelona earlier that morning, Mbappe had been frozen out of the fold for not renewing the deal he penned in spring last year.
That arrangement only ran until June 30, 2024, meaning Mbappe can walk for free next summer with Real Madrid his most likely destination.
Mbappe informed PSG in a letter of his intentions not to renew until 2025 and was told to either sign on the dotted line with the French club or be sold this summer.
A sale has thus far not come to fruition amid interest from Saudi Arabia – with Al-Hilal launching a world record €300 million ($329 million) bid – and the Premier
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Mbappe intended to watch the rest of the season from the terraces if needs be, and collect a series of bonus payments from PSG before a lucrative signing-on fee at the Bernabeu ahead of the 2024/2025 season.
According to Footmercato, however, a series of events which have unfolded in the current transfer window mean that he is now open to finally, possibly renewing with his current employers.
On Sunday morning, the club released a statement revealing that Mbappe has begun taking part in new head coach Luis Enrique’s sessions.
“Following very constructive and positive discussions between Paris Saint-Germain and Kylian Mbappe before the PSG – Lorient game, the player has been reinstated into the first team training squad this morning,” the statement read.
While we are not privvy to what was said in the meeting, Footmercato says that the 24-year-old is now “changing his mind”.
He has had his head turned by the possible exit of Neymar to Al-Hilal reported on by Fabrizio Romano, which could involve the Brazilian spending a year back at former club Barca, and also what he deems to have been a satisfactory spending spree from PSG’s Qatari owners.
In addition to Dembele, the Parisians have also brought in another fellow France international in Lucas Hernandez, Goncalo Ramos, Manuel Ugarte, Kang-in Lee and Milan Skriniar among others.
Though an extension might only be kicking the can down the road as Mbappe would be a free agent in less than two years from now, it at least ties him down for the immediate future and prevents a continental rivals such as Madrid being strengthened as PSG push to land their first UCL title.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomsanderson/2023/08/13/kylian-mbappe-now-open-to-psg-extension-amid-neymar-exit-returns-to-first-team-training-reports/