Kylian Mbappe is in talks to sign a new contract at Paris Saint-Germain.
The deal would probably only be a short-term extension but it is understood the 23-year-old is not against extending his stay with the French giants having fought to leave last summer.
The forward’s current contract expires at the end of this season and there has been an assumption that he would join Real Madrid as a free agent.
PSG are desperate for Mbappe, who has been in outstanding form this season, to stay and even turned down a bid of €160 million from Real last summer. At that time PSG are understood to have told Mbappe he could go if their valuation of €210 million was met.
Real, who were also effectively accused of ‘tapping up’ Mbappe by PSG’s sporting director Leonardo, did not reach that figure in their negotiations.
It meant that PSG were willing to allow Mbappe to leave for nothing but the club has continued to try and persuade him to sign a new deal all season.
It now appears that Mbappe is coming round to the idea of prolonging his stay at the club he supported as a child although he does not want to conclude negotiations just yet.
Interestingly Leonardo also said that the French international had “always promised that he would never leave for free” and even if he does sign a new deal it remains possible that Real will make an offer for the World Cup winner.
To add to the drama PSG face Real in the last-16 of the Champions League.
Mbappe signed for PSG initially on loan from Monaco in 2017 with an option – which was taken up – to make the move permanent for €180 million. After PSG’s signing of Neymar for €222 million it made Mbappe the second most expensive player in history.
