PSG sets a price for Mbappe.

The Ligue 1 champions don't want to lose Kylian Mbappe for free in the summer of 2024, so they are looking to sell the French striker as soon as the transfer window opens.

According to ESPN , President Nasser Al Khelaifi will let Mbappe leave this summer if a team agrees to pay a transfer fee of 150 million euros (161.5 million USD). This figure is close to the 174 million USD valuation recently published by the CIES (Center for the Study of Football) in its 2023 ranking of the world's top football superstars, as Mbappe only has one year left on his contract.

According to the same source, Real Madrid is Mbappe's preferred destination if he leaves PSG in the summer of 2023. Conversely, the royal club is willing to pay a fee to bring Mbappe to the Bernabeu as soon as the transfer window opens, rather than waiting to sign him as a free agent in the summer of 2024.

Al-Khelafi and Mbappe at a press conference announcing their new contract in 2022. Photo: AFP — Al-Khelafi and Mbappe at a press conference announcing their new contract in 2022. Photo: *AFP*

French newspaper L'Équipe also reported that Real Madrid are ready to spend money to persuade PSG to release Mbappe this summer. ESPN revealed that president Florentino Perez is in regular contact with the 24-year-old French striker, and the two sides have continued discussions recently.

Real Madrid are looking to strengthen their attack after Karim Benzema's move to Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia last week. The royal club had previously considered Harry Kane as the best replacement for Benzema, but were unwilling to pay the exorbitant fee for a player who will turn 30 next month and has only one year left on his contract. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy maintained his stance of not selling Kane, and would only negotiate if he received $125 million.

Real's initial plan this summer was to sign Joselu from Espanyol as a short-term solution, before recruiting Mbappe or Erling Haaland in 2024. The La Liga runners-up have already brought in left-back Fran Garcia from Rayo Vallecano and attacking midfielder Brahim Diaz – who ended his three-year loan spell at Milan – and reached an agreement to sign midfielder Jude Bellingham for $110 million from Dortmund.

PSG are planning a strategic shift after signing their biggest stars failed to bring success in the Champions League. Instead, the Parc des Princes club will prioritize bringing in young talents. Mbappe is expected to be at the center of this change, and PSG still hope the French striker will sign a long-term contract.

However, on June 12th, Mbappe sent a letter to the PSG management informing them of his decision not to activate the option to extend his contract for another year, until summer 2025. This means the 2018 World Cup winner could leave PSG as a free agent in summer 2024. A day later, he stated that he had informed the management of his decision not to activate the one-year extension on July 15th, 2022, and had never negotiated with the club about an extension.

PSG is experiencing a turbulent summer. Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi have left on free transfers, while Neymar is being courted by Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal with a salary of nearly $300 million per year. However, ESPN believes that Mbappe's departure is the biggest loss for PSG, as the striker is an icon of France and is considered the biggest star to emerge from the generation of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Hong Duy

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