Saudi club ‘submit world-record £259m bid’ for Kylian Mbappe

Saudi club Al-Hilal have submitted a world-record bid for Kylian Mbappe after the Frenchman was put up for sale by Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month, according to reports. Mbappe has shown no interest in signing an extension to his current deal at the Parc des Princes, which is set to expire at the end of next season at which point he will be able to leave on a free transfer.

PSG are said to have been left infuriated by Mbappe’s desire to run down his contract and will reportedly look to sell the 24-year-old this summer in order to avoid losing him for nothing in a year’s time. They are convinced that he has already agreed to join Real Madrid on a free transfer in 2024 but there is still a chance that he could move to Al-Hilal for a world-record fee, according to Fabrizio Romano.

It is claimed that Al-Hilal have submitted a formal offer in the region of £259million, which would smash the existing record of £191m that was paid by PSG to sign Neymar from Barcelona six years ago. Talks on the player’s side are yet to begin, although CBS Sports are reporting that an unprecedented salary package of around £11m per week could be on the table if Al-Hilal’s bid is accepted.

The Saudi outfit are reportedly prepared to let Mbappe join Real Madrid after just one year if he wishes to do so, which could tempt the Frenchman into pushing for the record-breaking switch over the coming weeks. He is said to be keen on staying at PSG until the end of next season as things stand, although it remains to be seen if Al-Hilal’s wildly expensive offer will be enough to change his mind.

It has since been reported by The Athletic that Al-Hilal have been given permission to start discussions with Mbappe by PSG, who are willing to accept their jaw-dropping bid. Al-Hilal would prefer to agree a long-term deal with the striker but are still open to the aforementioned one-year agreement that would allow him to move to Real Madrid next summer.

PSG were recently said to have encouraged Mbappe to listen to offers, while he is also believed to be training away from the first-team squad as a result of his uncertain future in Paris. It was reported last week that he has been taking part in sessions with the other players to have been put up for sale, a group which includes the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum, Leandro Paredes and Julian Draxler.

Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi recently vowed that Mbappe will be sold unless he decides to officially extend his stay at PSG, saying: “My position is very clear. I don’t want to repeat it every time. If Kylian wants to stay, we want him to stay, but he needs to sign a new contract.

“We don’t want to lose the best player in the world for free, we can’t do that. This is a French club. He said he would never leave for free. If he changes his mind today, it’s not my fault. We don’t want to lose the best player in the world for free, that’s very clear.”

Mbappe has also been tentatively linked with a move to the Premier League as of late, with Chelsea among the clubs said to be in the mix to snap him up before his contract expires next summer. Arsenal, meanwhile, have been credited with an interest in bringing the forward to north London but such a development would seem highly unlikely given their need to sell players before making any further signings.

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