Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has claimed that he no longer has any interest in bringing Kylian Mbappe to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Los Blancos fought tooth and nail to try to convince the attacker to join in the summer, but he ultimately chose to commit his future to Paris Saint-Germain for another three seasons.
Mbappe has started the 2022-23 season in strong form with 12 goals from 14 appearances in all competitions, working in tandem with Lionel Messi and Neymar up top.
However, PSG have been rocked by fresh reports claiming that Mbappe feels 'betrayed' by the board over unfulfilled promises that were made when he signed his new deal, and he is seeking an exit in January.
The 23-year-old has denied directly asking for a move away in the January transfer window, but he is nevertheless believed to be plotting an exit route and is supposedly prepared to buy himself out of his PSG contract in order to sever ties with the club.
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Real Madrid and Liverpool are considered to be the only two realistic contenders for Mbappe's signature, but Los Blancos president Perez has no interest in reigniting his side's pursuit of the attacker.
Perez witnessed Karim Benzema win the men's Ballon d'Or on Monday evening, and the 75-year-old believes that Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo both have the potential to scoop the prestigious award in the future.
"It's not that I'm bored, it's that I don't even read the debate about Mbappe anymore," Perez told reporters at the 2022 Ballon d'Or awards, where Mbappe was booed by the Paris crowd.
"We have a spectacular future ahead of us. Vinicius Jnr and Rodrygo Goes are real stars. I see them as future Ballon d'Or winners."
Furthermore, current Real Madrid striker Benzema has announced his desire to retire at the Bernabeu, where he is expected to pen an extension on his current terms that run until the end of the season.
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Mbappe recently spoke to RMC Sport about the rumours surrounding his future, which came out only a few hours before he scored a record 31st Champions League goal for the Parisiens in a 1-1 draw with Benfica, and he has claimed that he was left "flabbergasted" when the news filtered through to him.
"I'm very happy. I never asked for my departure in January. I was just as shocked as everyone else. There are people who may think I'm involved in this, but I'm not involved, I was taking a nap," Mbappe explained.
"My entourage was at my little brother's game, all the people who take care of me weren't there so we were flabbergasted when we heard about it. Afterwards, we had to deal with it, there was a game to play. Just to say that it is completely wrong, and I am very happy."
PSG are alleged to have conducted a smear campaign against Mbappe and other employees of the club through social media, but the Ligue 1 champions have "strongly denied" setting up the accounts.
Mbappe has totalled 183 goals and 89 assists in 231 games for PSG since arriving from Monaco in 2017, and both Christophe Galtier and Luis Campos have also shot down reports alleging that the 23-year-old is unhappy in Paris.
Ben Knapton
