Kylian Mbappé to miss PSG’s Ligue 1 opener as contract saga remains unresolved

With the Paris Saint-Germain senior squad returning from their pre-season tour of Asia, Kylian Mbappé will remain sidelined from the rest of the team and continue to train with the transfer-listed players, as first reported by RMC Sport.

L’Équipe indicate this evening that the ongoing stand-off between player and club over his contract, which expires at the end of the season, will in all likelihood see Mbappé absent from the squad to face Lorient next week for their Ligue 1 season opener.

With neither party budging from their positions, the French forward is also unlikely to feature on the trip to Toulouse the following week, either. PSG have told L’Équipe that they intend to only go plan around players who are committed to the club, not least given club president Nasser Al Khelaifi says Mbappé had promised not to leave the club on a free – which the 24-year-old contests. PSG have also seen several proposals turned down by the France captain, notably a renewal that would include a guaranteed transfer for next summer.

Real Madrid are ostensibly willing to wait until next year to pick up Mbappé on a free transfer, although PSG are also expecting a derisory offer from the La Liga side in the closing days of the summer window. According to L’Équipe, the Spaniards will not make an offer until the forward publicly states his desire to leave – until now, he has insisted that he intends to play in his hometown for the upcoming season. For now, the situation remains at a standstill

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin