Why Real Madrid are likely to sign Kylian Mbappe THIS summer

Carlo Garganese

• 13 Jun 2023 07:53 BST
• 3 min read

Real Madrid are increasingly likely to sign Kylian Mbappe this summer, according to numerous sources.

On Monday evening the news broke that Mbappe had told PSG that he doesn’t intend to trigger the option in his current contract - which expires in 2024 - of extending by a further year.

Fabrizio Romano has since reported that PSG are very surprised by the timing of Mbappe’s announcement, but have made it clear that there is no chance they will let him leave on a free transfer next year.

READ MORE: European Golden Shoe 2022/23

PSG’s stance is that unless Mbappe activates the option to extend - or signs a new contract - they will sell him this summer.

El Larguero adds that a transfer to Real Madrid is now increasingly likely this summer.

Madrid have already bought Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund in a €100 million-plus deal but are able to finance Mbappe’s transfer also.

READ MORE: PSG could sell Mbappe

The Spanish giants have cut their wage bill massively by offloading the likes of Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio - and so Mbappe’s salary will not be an issue.

Indeed, El Larguero notes that Madrid president Florentino Perez is ready to go ‘all-in’ for Mbappe now.

PSG already have a contingency plan in place to replace Mbappe if he leaves.

Mbappe to Real Madrid talks in 2022

Mbappe had seemed destined to join Real Madrid last summer but completed a dramatic turnaround by penning a two-year extension with PSG at the end of May 2022.

Throughout 2021-22, it had been unanimously accepted that he would sign for Madrid on a Bosman transfer when his previous PSG contract expired.

Having rejected a €200 million bid from Real Madrid for Mbappe in the summer of 2021, the Frenchman was believed to have already agreed a free transfer move to the club he supported as a child.

This was reinforced by the fact that he rejected numerous offers of a PSG extension throughout the 2021-22 campaign.

But, in a shock twist, Mbappe decided to sign a new deal at PSG.

It was thought that the new deal at PSG ran until 2025 but it has since been revealed it actually expires in 2024, with the option of a further year.

Only Mbappe himself – and not PSG – have the option of extending the deal by a further year.