Kylian Mbappe ‘laughs’ at Al-Hilal’s ₹2,718-crore offer

Antetokounmpo’s “offer” and Mbappe’s laughter at it comes at a time when Paris Saint Germain (PSG) has received a €300-million ( ₹2,718 crore) offer from Al-Hilal for the star footballer.

Mbappe has communicated to PSG that he will not activate a 12-month extension on his contract. Nevertheless, he has assured the club that he will start the upcoming season at Parc des Princes. PSG is determined not to allow Mbappe to depart for free after the next season, so he will either need to sign a new contract or be sold before his current one expires.

Al-Hilal, in light of PSG’s decision to make Mbappe available for transfer, has expressed interest in signing the French striker during the summer transfer window. Previously, Al-Hilal missed out on signing Lionel Messi from PSG.

Now, in their pursuit of Mbappe, they have tabled an astonishing bid of €300 million ( ₹2,718 crore) to secure the services of the PSG star. If Mbappe chooses to join Al-Hilal, he will join Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi league.

This bid from the Saudi club would make Mbappe the most expensive transfer in the history of club football, surpassing Neymar’s staggering $262 million ( ₹2,144 crore) deal when he moved from Barcelona to PSG in 2017.

In the latest developments, PSG has granted Al-Hilal permission to directly negotiate with Mbappe for this potentially record-breaking deal. Remarkably, the Saudi Pro League has proposed a €700 million ( ₹6,341 crore) for just one year to entice the Frenchman. However, despite this tempting offer, Mbappe still has the option to leave PSG and join Real Madrid in 2024 as a free agent. In 2022, Mbappe openly expressed his desire to join Real Madrid.

Updated: 25 Jul 2023, 07:53 AM IST