It's that time of year when the Kylian Mbappe rumors go into overdrive, but the PSG and France star has no plans to leave.
It's about that time of year when the Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid rumor flames get fanned, but the PSG and France star is getting ahead of it all.
Mbappe claims that he will be returning for a fourth season in the French capital, shutting down any speculation that he'd be leaving for Real Madrid, Liverpool or elsewhere.
"I'm here. I am in the project for a fourth year," Mbappe told beIN Sports, a day before being named the global cover star for EA Sports' FIFA 21. "The 50th year of the club is an important year for the club, the supporters, everyone, so I will be there no matter what. I will try to bring back trophies with the team and give the best of myself."
Mbappe initially joined PSG on loan from Monaco in 2017 prior to a €180 million transfer, and his contract with PSG runs through 2022. At 21, given what he's accomplished and what the future surely has in store, it stands to reason that he could threaten the €222 million transfer fee record set by Neymar, who left Barcelona for PSG in 2017. That is, if it weren't a year consumed by a pandemic. The financial constraints brought about by the coronavirus are likely to limit the spending power across Europe during the summer transfer window. Even for clubs that can foot the bill for a transfer of that size, the optics of doing so against the backdrop of pay cuts, furloughs and fights for sporting survival will surely have to be weighed.
Mbappe's remarks come days after Real Madrid president Florentino Perez effectively said not to expect any big signings this summer as a result of the financial fallout of the coronavirus.
When asked about Real Madrid, which spent over $300 million on transfers last summer, going on another spree, Perez told El Transistor, "No. The situation is really bad. It's difficult to ask the players to take a pay cut to help deal with the situation and then make signings like that. That can wait. Madrid will sign the best again when the situation changes."
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had issued a similar sentiment at the end of June, when the Premier League restart was still fresh and the financial wounds across all clubs, even those at the top of the league, being assessed.
“COVID has of course influenced both sides with ins and outs, that is completely normal," Klopp said. “It's just not likely that it will be the most busy summer in the world. But maybe at a later point in the year, if the transfer window is still open and we know more, then maybe something could happen.
“And in football now we get confronted with how much do you want to spend? How much can you spend if you don’t know how much you can have? That is exactly the situation."
Mbappe, who already has a World Cup title under his belt, is arguably the world's most in-demand player, and for good reason. He has scored 30 goals in 33 games across all competitions this season, and with PSG still set to play in the Coupe de la Ligue and Coupe de France finals prior to taking part in the quarterfinals of the revamped Champions League, he could have played his way into Ballon d'Or contention–had France Football's prestigious award not been scuppered for 2020 as a result of the pandemic.
PSG will meet Italian attacking juggernaut Atalanta in their Champions League last-eight showdown, with the winner facing either Atletico Madrid or RB Leipzig in the semifinals. It's a path that isn't "easy" but is one PSG will surely welcome, considering the clout on the other half of the bracket. After claiming the Ligue 1 title after the shortened season, PSG is gunning for a quadruple, with Mbappe at the helm. Even if it falls short, it appears the club need not worry about losing its prized forward.