Transfer: Barcelona To Hold Talks With PSG Over Mbappe Transfer

 

FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have scheduled talks to discuss the potential transfer of Kylian Mbappe on Monday according to L'Equipe. 

The Frenchman was put up for sale on Friday as reported by various outlets, and dropped from his club's preseason tour of Japan as punishment for not renewing his contract.

Mbappe agreed fresh terms in spring last year until 2024, but the deal came with an optional 12 months on top of that which PSG want him to trigger. 

The World Cup winner has informed PSG via a letter that he has no intention of doing so, and their Qatari owners remain convinced the player's camp have an agreement in place to join Real Madrid for free in 2024. 

Also on Monday, Fabrizio Romano and The Athletic reported that Al-Hilal have made a formal bid of €300 million ($332 million) for Mbappe that would smash the world transfer record set when PSG triggered Neymar's €222 million ($246 million) FC Barcelona release clause in 2017.

Speaking of the Blaugrana, though, L'Equipe explained when reporting on the Al-Hilal offer that talks are set to be held by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and his Barca counterpart Joan Laporta. 

The French magazine says that PSG are 'ready to accept' the bid from the Saudis, but there is a telephone meeting scheduled between the Qataris and the Catalans, currently in California, to discuss their interest in Mbappe.

Because of their economic issues, Barca want to offer PSG several players in a potential part exchange deal, L'Equipe adds.

Considering Mbappe's status as a next generation superstar likely to win the Ballon d'Or one day, Barca would surely have to put their top stars such Frenkie de Jong on the table to get a deal over the line.

PSG were interested in the Dutch playmaker when he was still at Ajax in 2019, before Barca beat the Ligue 1 champions and Manchester City to his signature. 

Reacting to the news, SPORT suggested De Jong as one of the potential candidates alongside French internationals Ousmane Dembele and Jules Kounde.

Given current PSG manager and former Spain boss Luis Enrique's fondness of the youngster, Gavi name was also put forward.

As well as any sort of high transfer fee, Barca would also struggle to pay Mbappe's salary. When he finished fourth on the list of The World's Highest-Paid Athletes in May, Mbappe's on-field earnings were put at $100 million by Forbes. 

Ultimately, though, PSG holding talks with Barca could be a way of sticking the knife into the La Liga title holders' bitter rivals Real Madrid.

Relations are strained between the two clubs because of the manner in which Madrid have constantly pursued Mbappe and have attempted to snatch him away from the Parc des Princes.

Mbappe was linked to joining Madrid for free last year until he extended with PSG, but it is believed that he will one day wind up at the Bernabeu whether that is through letting his PSG contract run down or joining Al-Hilal with a Real Madrid-only clause.

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