PSG are likely to sell prodigious French forward Kylian Mbappe to La Liga giants Real Madrid after the 22-year-old rejected the football club's latest five-year deal, French radio station RMC reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, Mbappe, who receives a staggering $20 million in annual wages from PSG besides performance-linked bonuses, has turned down the new contract despite the French side offering him a significant salary hike and an option of staying at the club for one more year.
PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi and his management, including team manager Mauricio Pochettino, have remained determined to keep the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner in Paris. But his rejection of their latest offer has almost sealed his fate with the club, French media said.
"Mbappe is our player and I want him to be here this season", Pochettino said last week.
"He has another year left on his contract. Even if he doesn't renew it, he is still a PSG player and we are very pleased with him, and from what I can understand he is pleased with us", he added.
As per RMC, Khelaifi and Pochettino have no choice but to plan his exit from PSG now.
Mbappe's lack of interest in staying with PSG essentially means that the Parisians will have to begin negotiations with Real Madrid, who have been extremely eager to see him arrive at Santiago Bernabeu as early as possible.
However, Real Madrid is yet to make an official bid for Mbappe and are willing to wait until the next season as his current contract with PSG will come to an end in 2022.
With Mbappe becoming a free agent next year, the possibility of Real getting the French forward without paying a mammoth transfer fee cannot be ruled out. It is something Mbappe would have learnt at PSG only, after all, Messi joined the club on a free transfer just two weeks ago.