Paris, Feb 15 (EFE).- Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 has informed Paris Saint Germain that he intends to leave the club this summer, the French press reported Thursday.<\/p>
Mbapp\u00e9, widely seen as one of the world\u2019s best players, has long been a target for Real Madrid, and the reports are likely to spark frenzied speculation over his future.<\/p>
He signed a contract extension with PSG after turning down the chance to move to Madrid in 2022. His current deal is due to expire at the end of the season.<\/p>
L’\u00c9quipe reported the news means the uncertainty over whether Mbapp\u00e9 would remain in Paris “is over.”<\/p>
“Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 has announced to the PSG board that he has decided to leave the club this summer. The striker announced his decision on Tuesday at the Poissy training center,” the sports daily reported.<\/p>
Other French media also confirmed that Mbapp\u00e9 had communicated his decision to PSG president Nasser Al-Khela\u00effi.<\/p>
The specific details of the French national team captain\u2019s departure from Paris have not been finalized, although the French press predicts he will move to Real once his contract ends on June 30.<\/p>
Le Parisien noted that the 25-year-old star has not yet reached a contractual agreement with the Spanish team.<\/p>
The young striker has been free to negotiate with other clubs since January 1, having waived the third optional year he signed with PSG in 2022.<\/p>
While Real have been widely touted as his likely destination, the Madrid team are sure to face stiff competition from Premier League teams who can match their financial clout.<\/p>
If confirmed, Real Madrid would get Mbapp\u00e9 at their fourth attempt, without having to pay transfer fee to PSG as the player would arrive on a free, although the striker will probably command a hefty signing bonus.<\/p>
In 2017, Real tried to secure the services of the then 19-year-old Monaco academy graduate, but PSG stepped in to pay Principality club \u20ac180 million, the second most expensive transfer in history.<\/p>
In the winter transfer window of 2021, Florentino Perez offered 180 million euros, which the Parisian team’s Qatari owners turned down.<\/p>
At the time, they managed to convince him to renew his commitment to Paris for two years, with the option of an extra year.<\/p>
A call from President Emmanuel Macron helped convince the French star to remain in Paris.<\/p>
After completing those two years of his contract, Mbapp\u00e9 wrote to PSG management to indicate that he would not activate his optional third year, which caused a storm in the team and led to the striker being temporarily removed from training with the rest of the squad during last summer\u2019s preseason.<\/p>
Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi urged him to renew his deal or be sold so that he could leave some money in the club’s coffers. In the end, the two sides reached an agreement whereby the player waived part of his loyalty bonus and was able to return to play for the team.<\/p>
Al-Khelaifi, for his part, had always publicly stated his willingness and optimism to keep Mbapp\u00e9 as the squad\u2019s main star. EFE<\/p>
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