Date published: Sunday 15th August 2021 4:04 – Toby Bowles
Kylian Mbappe will announce his decision on his Paris Saint-Germain future on Monday, according to reports.
Mbappe, 22, is out of contract next season and has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid.
Los Blancos are plotting a Galactico-style revival which would also see them sign Erling Haaland and they have made Mbappe their No 1 target.
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They could wait until next summer to sign him for free or splash the cash to secure him now, with a €120m fee having been rumoured.
Previous reports have suggested Mbappe is keen on an exit, but whether or not that stance has changed since Lionel Messi’s arrival is unclear.
According to SER (via Fichajes), Mbappe will inform the PSG board of his final decision on Monday.
The winger has netted 133 goals in 175 appearances during his time at the club, winning three Ligue 1 titles and three Coupes de France.
However, it is the Champions League that has eluded him, and Nicolas Anelka feels a departure is necessary for Mbappe if he wants to win the Ballon d’Or.
“If you want the biggest accolades, you will have to move from PSG at some point,” he told The Athletic last month.
“Whatever you do in Paris will be good, but somebody will always say, ‘Well, you did great for PSG but it was only in France. The best leagues are in England and Spain, so you didn’t compete with the best players in the best league.’
“If you want to win the Ballon d’Or, which is what you should be looking at to echo Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, you will have to compete with the best.
“You can’t say you compete with the best all the time when you are at PSG. The French league is not easy, don’t get me wrong, but I think the toughest league is in England.
“So, if you want to be one of the best, then do what you do in Paris but with Chelsea or United or Arsenal or Manchester City or Liverpool. Or go to Spain to Madrid or Barcelona. Or maybe Italy. Then we can speak about a more global impact.”