By Samuel A. May 10, 2024
France striker Kylian Mbappe has announced that he will leave Paris Saint Germain at the end of the season. The 25 year old sensation announced the decision in a video released on his social media accounts. “I’ve always said that I would speak with you when the time comes,” Mbappe said. “It’s my last year at Paris St-Germain. I will not extend and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks.”
Mbappe’s contract with PSG expires in June, and it had been reported in February that he had agreed a deal to join Real Madrid in the summer.The World Cup winner is PSG’s record goalscorer with 255 goals and will play his final home game at the Parc des Princes against Toulouse in Ligue 1 on Sunday. After that PSG have away fixtures at Nice (15 May) and Metz (19 May) before the French Cup final against Lyon at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille on 25 May.
Paris born Mbappe, who joined PSG from Monaco for £165.7m in August 2017, said the club helped him “grow as a player” and “grow as a man as well”. He added: “It’s a lot of emotions, many years where I had the chance and the great honour to be a member of the biggest French club, one of the best in the world. It allowed me to arrive here, to have my first experience in a club with a lot of pressure, to grow as a player of course, by being alongside some of the best in history, some of the greatest champions. It’s hard and I never thought it would be this difficult to announce that. But I think I needed this, a new challenge, after seven years.”
Mbappe was set to leave PSG on a free transfer at the end of the 2021-22 season but ultimately signed a two year contract extension, with the option of a further year. However, after Mbappe told PSG he would not agree to the additional 12 months of the deal, he was not selected for their preseason tour to Japan last July.
He subsequently refused to meet with representatives of Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, who made a world record £259m offer for him.
He later returned to first team training following what PSG said were “very constructive and positive” talks. He met PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi on 13 February and told him he was leaving and joining Real. It was anticipated Mbappe would make an announcement over his future when it was no longer possible for PSG to meet Real in this season’s Champions League.
PSG suffered a 2-0 aggregate defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the semifinals earlier this week as Mbappe struggled to make an impact in both legs of the tie.
Mbappe acknowledged in his video message he was “not the most demonstrative player” and “hasn’t always lived up to the love” PSG fans gave him. “PSG is a club that never leaves anyone indifferent. We can love it or hate it and I made the choice of loving it and I did for seven years. I do not regret, at any moment, signing with this prestigious club. It is a club I will keep in my memory my entire life”, he said in his emotional speech.
It is now increasingly likely that he would join 14 time European champions Real Madrid in the summer.
