Kaveh Solhekol on Kylian Mbappe's PSG future

Sky Sports News
24 followers
31 Video Views·Jul 19, 2023
Now we've already seen two deals worth more than 100 million pounds and we wait to see what will
happen with Harry Kane. But a move for Kylian Mbappe this winter would surely blow all those
deals out of the water. He and the PSG owner Nasser Al-Khalafi came face-to-face yesterday
for the first time since the striker revealed he wants to leave for free next summer. So let's find
out what happened. As you can see I'm coming face to face with our chief reporter Kaveh Solikol.
Kaveh, hopefully you won't give me the same treatment that Mbappe got. What can you tell us?
Yes, as you said Nasser Al-Khalafi and Kylian Mbappe came face to face yesterday but there was
no private meeting. The PSG president decided that he thought there was no point in having a private
meeting with Mbappe. What was actually significant is that he did have personal meetings with PSG's
six summer signings. So players like Milan Skriniar, players like Luka Hernandez, players like Manuel
Ugart, they were all welcomed personally to PSG by the president. But as far as Mbappe was concerned
he just had to sit there and listen to Nasser Al-Khalafi's speech about his vision for next
season and his vision for the new PSG. And as far as Mbappe is concerned he's got this deadline of
July the 31st. He has to tell PSG what he wants to do. Either he's going to extend his contract
or PSG are saying you will be sold next month. Okay, so he had this discussion with the new
signings privately and then addressed the rest of the squad. What did he have to say?
Interesting actually because the speech was in a mix of English and French because I think a lot
of the new signings, a lot of the new arrivals at PSG don't speak French yet. And what the president
told them is this is the last time I will be making a speech in a mix of English and French
because the first thing you will need to do is learn to speak French because from now on I will
only be speaking French to you. The speech was very uncompromising. He basically said to the
players you have to play for the badge. If you don't want to be here, if you don't want to play
for PSG, fine leave now. Don't waste our time. We've built you this new training ground. Cost us
250 million pounds. One of the best training grounds in the world. You're being given everything to
succeed. There can't be any excuses anymore. Things have got to change. This is a new PSG.
And he also told the players that Luis Enrique is the boss. What he says goes. He is the one who
makes the ultimate decisions. So basically don't come knocking on my door and trying to undermine
the new head coach. From now on he is the boss. So they're getting tough and taking a stance here.
Cracking the whip. PSG. Look into your crystal ball Carvey because I know you've got one.
What does this all mean for Mbappe? Is your feeling that he will go in this win and if so
is the sky the limit on how much a club would have to pay for him? From PSG's point of view
it's simple. He's got until July the 31st. He either has to extend his contract or sign a new
contract or he will be sold. From Mbappe's point of view he can dig his heels in because he's still
got another year left on his contract. He can't really be sold against his will. If he wants he
can still stay at PSG. But what he has to take into account is the reaction of the supporters.
Also the reaction of PSG. For instance would they carry on picking him? Would he play at all if he
refuses to extend his contract? I think it would be difficult for PSG not to pick him because of
FIFA rules. Players have rights. But I think in the past when players have fallen out with PSG
they have been sidelined and they haven't played. So I think he has to make up his mind. His dream
scenario is that he stays at PSG for another year, picks up his wages, I think about £2m a week,
picks up his loyalty bonus. I think in total he would get around £170m from PSG if he stays
for another year. And then next summer he can go to Real Madrid, get a massive signing on fee,
get massive wages because he'd be moving on a free transfer. But PSG are saying that is not
going to happen. We're not going to let that happen. We have spent so much money on you.
We've invested so much money in you. Transfer fees, wages, loyalty bonuses, signing on bonuses.
We're not going to let you go for nothing.
