Published: game. July 27, 2023 at 12:52 PM
Last update: game. 27 July 2023, 23: 02
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Kylian Mbappe has reportedly refused to meet with Al Hilal officials, dealing a fatal blow to the Saudis’ ambitious hopes of setting a world record of $332 million.
In addition to the record fees, the Riyadh-based club would have been willing to pay Mbappe an impressive salary of $776 million for a one-year contract.
The French star, however, rejected “any discussion with the reviewers of the Al Hilal club, scheduled in Paris on Wednesday,” reports the sports L’Equipe.
According to the report, a delegation from the Saudi club arrived in Paris to finalize the signing of Brazilian Malcom from Zenit St. Petersburg.
They also sought to loan Mbappe in the French capital.
“This technique will be successful,” L’Equipe added, because the 24-year-old’s entourage “rejected any discussion with the representatives of the Saudi club. “
“The captain of Les Bleus never this option,” the report added.
Through PSG, the Saudi club was allowed to enter into talks with Mbappe, while he never expressed interest in joining the developing Saudi league.
Mbappe still has one year left on his contract with PSG, which needs him to leave now that for nothing next summer.
But he refuses to sign a new contract and the French champions have already reached an agreement to sign for Real Madrid next year.
It is widely believed that Real hoped to get Mbappe back next year, luring him in with colossal signing fees, as they would have to pay PSG anything for his services.
The clash between Mbappe and the French club reached a new peak last weekend when he was fired from his squad for a trip to Japan and South Korea.
It has been said that Mbappe would be determined for a whole year if he failed to find a solution with PSG.
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Mbappe, the club’s all-time sensible top scorer with 212 goals in 260 games, remains the most beloved player in PSG history, teammate Neymar.
He was still a teenager when he joined PSG on loan for a season from Monaco in August 2017.
The move became a permanent move the following year, a €180 million deal.
This amount is exceeded by Neymar, the Brazilian who charged PSG 222 million euros in 2017.
The third member of PSG’s trio of superstars, Lionel Messi, left at the end of last season to sign for MLS franchise Inter Miami.
The trio may simply not save PSG from being knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich in last season’s knockout stages, then clinched the French title.
Al Hilal is one of the few belonging to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
They have already signed centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly from Chelsea and Ruben Neves from Wolves this summer.