Real Madrid News
PSG will sell Mbappe for €150 million if he does not decide before July 31 – report
According to Sky Sports, Paris Saint-Germain are ready to sell Kylian Mbappe this summer amid interest from Real Madrid. On the other hand, the player wants to see out his contract which expires in 2024.
For that, the club has decided to set a deadline for him to make a decision, which is July 31, and if he does not extend his contract till then, he will be sold in August for around €150 million.
Last month, Mbappe sent a letter to PSG to confirm that he does not wish to renew his deal, which runs until 2024. Now, the French champions have no interest in losing arguably one of the top forwards for free, meaning that they have asked him to either renew his contract or leave right away.
Mbappe, however, is willing to do neither and according to Sky Sports, this has forced PSG to give him a deadline of July 31 to commit to staying in Paris at least until the summer of 2025. If he goes against the decision, he will be sold to the highest bidder next month, with Real Madrid watching closely.
Now, PSG have more or less made peace with the fact that they cannot force Mbappe to sign a contract and they cannot even force him to leave against his will. The team’s perspective, however, has been made absolutely clear to the player and his representative
“Kylian will not leave for free. If he wants to stay, he must renew. Mbappe leaving for free? Impossible,” he said. “Our position is strong. Mbappe will not leave for free. Impossible. The best player in the world leaving for free is not happening.”
“If Mbappé wants to stay, he stays. But he has to renew. We can’t let him leave for free and that’s what he promised the club. If he changes his mind, it’s not my fault,” he added.
There have been murmurs of interest coming from Liverpool and Manchester United. But Real Madrid remain the undisputed favourites to sign Mbappe, be it this year or in 2024.
Previous reports had suggested that PSG would demand around €200 million for the 24-year-old’s services. But, if they are open to offloading him for €150 million in August, in all fairness, Los Blancos might be okay to wait until next month.
Bernardo Silva was one of Real Madrid’s headline signings last summer. The Portuguese midfielder arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City and appeared destined to become the creative successor to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the middle of the park.
Indeed, with the club having not signed a new central midfielder, many within Real Madrid saw the veteran star as a solution to the issue.
Manager Jose Mourinho made him a starter from the very beginning in pre-season, but not in his usual role on the right. Instead, he deployed his compatriot as a deep-lying playmaker in the midfield double pivot.
A change in circumstances
Silva failed to have the expected influence when operating in a deeper role in midfield in the chances he got.
Combined with the emergence of Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return to fitness, the Portuguese international has now lost his place in the starting line-up and dropped to the bench.
Bernardo’s situation became particularly striking against Villarreal this past Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu, when he did not play a single minute.
Limited opportunities under Mourinho
Bernardo has played six matches for Real Madrid, starting three and coming on as a substitute in another three.
He did not feature against Villarreal or Elche, while his only appearance in the last three matches was a little over 10 minutes against Atletico Madrid. He was not used regularly by the Portugal national team during the international break either.
Across Real Madrid’s eight La Liga fixtures, Silva has accumulated just 282 minutes of playing time.
The Champions League now presents another opportunity for the former Manchester City captain, who has yet to make his European debut for Real Madrid this season.
He missed the match against Inter Milan because he was still serving a suspension carried over from his time at the Etihad Stadium last season.
It remains to be seen whether Mourinho will give him an opportunity against AS Roma in the coming week.
For now, the midfielder’s reduced playing time suggests that the Portuguese coach has lost some of his faith in a player who arrived with high expectations after leaving Manchester City.
K Mbappe
July 8, 2023 at 10:00 pm
He can’t be sold without agreeing personal terms. They can’t just force him to join the highest bidder! Ridiculous.