Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe has rejected a meeting with Al Hilal officials, dealing a significant blow to the Saudi club’s hopes of securing a world record 300-million-euro ($333 million) transfer deal. The French star declined any discussions with the representatives of Al-Hilal, who had come to Paris to finalize the transfer of Brazilian player Malcom from Zenit Saint Petersburg.
Despite being granted permission by PSG to hold talks with Kylian Mbappe, the Riyadh-based club’s ambitious project failed to impress the player’s entourage. Mbappe’s camp asserted that he has never considered moving to the fast-growing Saudi league, and the captain of Les Bleus is said to have his sights set on a future move to Real Madrid.
With only one year left on his PSG contract, the French champions want to avoid losing Mbappe for free next summer. However, he has refused to sign a new contract, fueling speculations about his move to Real Madrid.
Last weekend, tensions between Mbappe and PSG escalated when the club dropped him from the squad touring Japan and South Korea. There are even suggestions that he could be excluded from the squad for an entire year if the deadlock with PSG continues.
Mbappe, who holds the record for the most goals scored in PSG’s history, joined the club as a teenager on a season-long loan from Monaco in 2017. The move became permanent the following year in a 180-million-euro deal, making him the second most expensive player in history, behind his PSG teammate Neymar.
With Lionel Messi’s departure at the end of last season, PSG’s superstar trio has disbanded, and Al Hilal had hoped to secure Mbappe’s signature to strengthen their squad. However, it appears their pursuit of the French forward has hit a major obstacle.
