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Kylian Mbappe is not interested in meeting representatives from Al Hilal.
The Saudi Pro League side had a world record €300m (£259m) offer accepted by PSG on Monday, with the Ligue 1 giants keen to move Mbappe on to avoid losing him on a free transfer next summer.
Mbappe has already indicated that he will not exercise the 12-month option in his PSG contract, leaving the club no choice but to try and engineer a transfer for the 24-year-old before the 1 September transfer deadline.
PSG had made the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot winner available for €200m (£171m), hoping long-term admirers Real Madrid would come forward with an offer. But it was revealed on Monday that it was PIF-backed Al Hilal who had lodged an astronomical bid far above that asking price.
Yet doubts quickly emerged over whether Mbappe would be interested in negotiating with Al Hilal, given his long-held affection for Real Madrid, as well as his positive relationship with president Florentino Perez.
Sources have now confirmed that Mbappe and his mother, who is also his agent, have informed a delegation from Al Hilal that they have no interest in discussing personal terms – despite the Saudi club’s willingness to make him one of the highest-paid athletes in the world – and have ‘zero interest’ in leaving Europe at this time.
Indeed, Mbappe plans to play at the highest level for as many years as he can, which would seemingly rule out a move to the Middle East for the foreseeable future. Whether or not he ends up playing in Saudi Arabia late on in his career remains to be seen, but for now he intends to establish his legacy at a more competitive level.
Real Madrid have kept their counsel to this point, unflustered by Al Hilal’s approach for Mbappe, though they could still look to tempt PSG to sell this summer for a reduced price. If they decide to wait, the 14-time Champions League winners know they can agree to sign Mbappe on a pre-contract agreement in January, or haggle his price down further when just six months will be left on his PSG deal.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is keen to avoid that situation at all costs, with intermediaries instructed to drum up interest in Mbappe from the rest of European football’s top brass. But given the finances involved in the deal, coupled with the player’s particular desire to head to Madrid, any bid from an interested party may prove futile.
While Mbappe is not planning to head to Saudi Arabia, the same can’t be said for his PSG team-mate, Marco Verratti. Al Hilal are on the verge of luring the Italian midfielder to Riyadh, where a lucrative three-year contract is on the table.
If Verratti joins, as is now expected, he’ll line up alongside Ruben Neves and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in a formidable-looking midfield three. Al Hilal have additionally already signed Kalidou Koulibaly from Chelsea to strengthen their backline.
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