Paris Saint-Germain and France forward Kylian Mbappe has informed the club that he will not be leaving the Ligue 1 side under any circumstances, as per multiple reports from France.
According to French dailies L’Equipe and RMC Sport, the FIFA World Cup 2018 winner has decided to stay at the club this season as he runs out his contract and would then decide his next club, leving club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi enraged.
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“We can’t let the best player in the world today leave for free. It’s impossible,” said the Qatar-owned club’s president, Nasser al-Khelaifi, last month.
The situation is hardly ideal for PSG’s new coach, with Luis Enrique having been appointed to succeed Christophe Galtier.
Mbappe had joined PSG in 2017 on a season-long loan initially from AS Monaco, which later became a permanent transfer in a deal that which was second just to Neymar’s signing to the same club.
In 260 appearances for the Paris Saint-Germain, he has scored 212 goals and has assisted 98 more, winning 13 major trophies with the club. He has won France’s Player of the Year award four times in a row and been Ligue 1’s top scorer in five straight seasons, but his contract dispute with the champion has dominated headlines all summer.
The impasse eventually led to his ouster from the PSG squad for the pre-season tour to Asia. There were reports of a massive offer from Saudi Pro League, which was said to be rejected by the Ligue 1 side.
With Lionel Messi leaving earlier this year and Neymar sharing a strenuous relationship with the club ultras, the Mbappe drama will only worsen the morale within PSG.