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Paris Saint-Germain president confident of Kylian Mbappe stay

PSG president confident of Kylian Mbappe stay
© Reuters
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is confident that the French champions will keep hold of Kylian Mbappe, whose contract expires next summer.

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has expressed confidence that Kylian Mbappe will remain with the French champions following yet another whirlwind summer transfer saga.

The former Monaco starlet was ostensibly set to join Real Madrid in the summer of 2022, only to snub Los Blancos by penning a two-year extension with PSG until the end of the current campaign.

Mbappe's terms include an option to extend for another 12 months, but the striker sent a letter to the club earlier this year confirming that he did not wish to activate the clause, putting PSG at risk of losing him for nothing in 2024.

Desperate not to let the world's second-most expensive player walk out of the door for free, PSG fought tooth and nail to sell Mbappe over the summer, only to be met with stiff resistance from the player, who has affirmed several times that he intends to see out his contract.

A world-record £259m bid from Al-Hilal was reportedly accepted by PSG, but Mbappe refused to enter discussions with the Saudi Pro League giants, and Real Madrid did not renew their interest after signing Joselu on loan from Espanyol.

Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring for France on June 19, 2023© Reuters

Amid the standoff, Mbappe was made to train with a group of fellow PSG outcasts dubbed the 'undesirables', but he was re-integrated into Luis Enrique's first-team squad after holding constructive talks with the club.

The 24-year-old has since enjoyed another prolific start to the campaign with eight goals from six appearances in all tournaments, but there has been no change in his contract situation, despite fleeting rumours of an extension.

Nevertheless, when asked about Mbappe's future by Polish publication Meczyki, Al-Khelaifi insisted that the France World Cup winner "loves" the club, who believe that they "will" retain his services.

"Kylian Mbappe is a PSG player. He loves the club. He's a fantastic player. He's the best in the world. We are very happy to have him and we will have him," the PSG president responded.

Only a few months after committing his future to the Ligue 1 champions, Mbappe allegedly regretted his decision to sign a new contract due to unfulfilled promises, while there were also rumours of a frosty relationship with former teammate Neymar - claims that then-manager Christophe Galtier denied.

Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) Kylian Mbappe reacts on March 19, 2023© Reuters

Despite the continued off-field speculation, Mbappe continued to shine in Parisien colours and became the club's all-time top goalscorer in March, surpassing Edinson Cavani with a 201st strike against Nantes.

The France international now boasts a total of 220 goals and 98 assists in 266 games for PSG, although his efforts to help the club clinch Champions League glory have repeatedly ended in failure.

Mbappe has previously stated that he wants to win Europe's top prize with PSG, who opened their group-stage campaign with a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund thanks to goals from Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi.

Enrique's men will travel to Newcastle United for their next Champions League match on Wednesday, prior to which they will meet Clermont in Saturday afternoon's Ligue 1 fixture.

Mbappe's status for the trip to Clermont is uncertain due to an ankle injury sustained against Marseille last week, but he is expected to be fine for the midweek showdown with the Magpies.

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Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring for Paris Saint-Germain in August 2023
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