Superstar forward Kylian Mbappe “must sign a new contract” if he wants to stay at the club for the upcoming season, according to Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser al-Khelaifi.
“The position is very clear. If Kylian wants to stay, he must sign a new contract. We can’t let the best player in the world today leave for free. It’s impossible,” Khelaifi said when asked about the France forward after Luis Enrique was unveiled as the club’s new coach.
“He said he would not leave for free. If somebody has changed his mind, that is not my fault.”
Although Mbappe has stated he will not extend his contract, which expires next year, he has stated he intends to stay for one more season. Mbappe made this announcement last month.
The player’s contract expires after the 2019–20 season, so the club must sell him during this transfer window to avoid losing him for nothing.
Mbappe moved to Paris Saint-Germain from Monaco in August 2017 in a deal worth 180 million euros ($196 million), and he has since made a name for himself as one of the game’s most recognisable players.
He contributed to PSG winning a record 11th French championship after scoring a hat-trick in France’s 2022 World Cup final loss to Argentina.
With 29 goals and 41 goals across 43 games, he led Ligue 1 in scoring last season.
When his previous contract expired a year ago, the 24-year-old was supposed to move to Real Madrid, but instead he signed a new contract to stay in Paris.
That was a two-year contract with the option of a third season which would take him to 2025, which the player has said he would not take up, even if he has indicated his intention to see out his existing deal.
“I said that next year I will play for PSG. I still have a year left on my contract and I am going to honour my contract,” Mbappe said in May.
Luis Enrique, who has signed a two-year contract in Paris to take over as coach from Christophe Galtier, was evasive when asked on Wednesday if he received any guarantees that Mbappe would remain for the coming campaign.
However, he later said that he was “counting on all the players who are under contract”.
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