Kylian Mbappe to leave PSG live updates: World Cup winner to leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer

Dan H: “More trouble than he’s worth this guy! Always a circus around him, insane wage demands and a distraction from the team. Sensible clubs should stay away.”

Artem K: “Unless he goes to Saudi Arabia (which sounds like he’s not interested) his salary alone might be an albatross around any club’s neck. He is world class and can win games by himself, but he can’t win the Champions League by himself. No doubt someone will sign him but the situation with Madrid is getting more and more comical.”

Dominic K: “Barca’s mythical levers will be getting pulled frantically now.”

Kylian Mbappe’s departure from Paris Saint-Germain will not have an impact on his brother Ethan’s contract situation at the club.

He will renew his deal, according to PSG.

Generally, PSG have enjoyed massive dominance in domestic competition, winning nine of the last 11 Ligue 1 titles. At the time of writing the club is 11 points clear of second-placed Nice with just 13 games remaining this season. The league title is pretty much wrapped up.

And they’re in a decent spot in the Champions League, too, winning their round of 16 first leg match against Real Sociedad 2-0 yesterday.

But you have to feel Mbappe knowing he will be leaving will have a negative effect on him and his team-mates as they potentially head into the latter stages of the competition they’re desperate to win. It certainly won’t help sharpen minds or encourage focus.

Mbappe leaving as a free agent was viewed as a situation that must be avoided at all costs, with the club feeling they had to avoid a repeat of his 2022 contract showdown.

The striker eventually committed his future to PSG that summer, but the risk of losing him as a free agent after spurning the chance to sell him for an eye-watering transfer fee was one they did not wish to repeat.

The Lionel Messi exit situation was viewed entirely differently due to his age and the initial short-term agreement, with the club accepting from the offset that his arrival significantly strengthened their brand and visibility but that his was a marriage of circumstance, with his renewal beyond last summer far from the club’s priority.

A reminder: you can contact us at The Athletic using our email: [email protected] – and fans have already been having their say in the comments below David Ornstein’s piece!

Marcelus M says: It’s finally over. Hope the next decision he makes comes soon.

Job M jokes: Chelsea should sign him. He will obviously be Mudryk’s backup

While Ryan L posts: Let the speculation begin. He is a great player, but don’t know how he will fit in with Real Madrid. Don’t want to mess with the chemistry up front plus they need to address the back.

What do you reckon? Join the conversation and let us know. We’ll feature your comments and questions in this live blog.

One Galacticos era at Paris Saint-Germain comes to a close, but another one may be starting at Real Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo left the club in 2018, and Karim Benzema followed him out the door this past summer. Luka Modric may well be on the last legs of his playing time in the Spanish capital as well.

But in there place, the club now have superstars Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior. If they’re able to bring in Kylian Mbappe as well, we may be in the midst of another Galacticos era at Los Blancos.

It is a question that is almost impossible to answer.

How do you stop Kylian Mbappe?

Get tight to him and he’ll spin you. Step off him and he’ll expose you with any open bit of grass he can find. Double up on him? Great idea, except you’ve just given his team-mates more room to operate in.

The Athletic attempted to answer an impossible question last year, check out the link below to see what we found out.

Manase K: “Didn’t see that one coming … let me guess, just a hunch, he’ll end up at Real Madrid. Worst kept secret.”

Ryan L: “Let the speculation begin. He is a great player, but don’t know how he will fit in with Real Madrid. Don’t want to mess with the chemistry up front plus they need to address the back.”

Charles P: “I think he is a major tactical problem for whoever gets him unless he significantly ups his work-rate. You’re basically down to 9 outfield players without the ball. He’s obviously massively talented and can create stuff out of nothing but not sure that compensates for what he costs you without the ball.”

As much as PSG will brief this as a chance to move towards a more balanced, cohesive collective team and squad, this surely has to rank as a massive missed opportunity to cash in on their most prized asset.

They received a €300m offer (£255m) for Mbappe from Al Hilal in the summer.

The Saudi Pro League club were given permission to talk to the forward, but he ultimately remained at PSG.

It’s safe to say they will not be getting that much now.

Exemplifying that decadent Galacticos policy was the attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

It was assumed by the club that jamming three world-class individual talents together would help the club in the quest for their ultimate prize: a Champions League trophy.

But they failed. Messi left for Inter Miami in July 2023. Neymar left for Saudi side Al Hilal the following month. Six months after that, Mbappe is now leaving.

The trident is finally broken up.

The world is full of young footballers who are utterly convinced they will make it to the very top. Some of them have the talent to back up their confidence.

But few of them even come close to fulfilling their presumed destiny. Only a tiny proportion make the big time. Only one can emerge as, it increasingly appears, the dominant footballer of his generation.

Read Oliver Kay’s brilliant deep dive below.

Big brother Kylian isn’t the only Mbappe on the books at PSG.

Left-footed midfielder Ethan, 17, made his senior and professional debut on December 2023 and has now made three appearances for the first team.

You have to wonder whether he’ll stay in Paris given his sibling’s departure.

Recruiting ‘Galacticos’ – world-famous, expensive superstars – was a transfer policy initiated by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez from around 2000-2006.

French giants Paris Saint-Germain tried to emulate that in recent years, signing Neymar, Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and many more.

But that led to too much player power, an imbalanced team, and weakened the collective.

The departure of Mbappe is probably the nail in the coffin for that strategy at PSG.

Paris Saint-Germain have won nearly every trophy on offer during Kylian Mbappe’s time at the club, save for the Champions League. During his six-plus seasons at the club, they have often found the round of 16 a tough obstacle.

• 2017-18: Eliminated at the round of 16
• 2018-19: Round of 16
• 2019-20 Runners-up – pictured above
• 2020-21: Semi-finals
• 2021-22: Round of 16
• 2022-23: Round of 16

They find themselves at the round of 16 once again this season, and last night they took a significant step towards the quarter-finals, beating Real Sociedad 2-0 in their first-leg match.