Saudi Arabia’s relentless pursuit of football’s biggest stars has seen Al-Hilal submit an audacious world-record bid worth €300million (£259m) for Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.
PSG have accepted that offer and given Mbappe permission to speak to Al-Hilal, who can promise the 24-year-old a jaw-dropping salary if he joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Co in the Middle East.
PSG insiders claimed on Monday that the market for their France striker had grown ‘hyper competitive’ since it was confirmed he would not take part in their pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea.
Premier League clubs including Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham are interested in Mbappe, whose contract expires next year, yet all would struggle to come close to the offer made by Al-Hilal.
With Mbappe refusing to extend his contract, PSG suspected their player had already agreed to sign for Real Madrid on a free next summer.
Al Hilal have been granted permission to speak to Kylian Mbappe after a £259million bid
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi (left) has no intention of letting Mbappe leave for free in 2024
There was talk on Monday of Mbappe joining Al-Hilal on a one-year contract worth £173m in wages before moving on to Real as planned. This is Saudi football’s boldest attempt at luring a big name.
Mbappe would be considered a real coup as, unlike Al-Nassr’s Ronaldo, 38, and Al-Ittihad’s Karim Benzema, 35, he is in his prime.
Mbappe’s £259m fee would smash the world-record transfer — Brazil forward Neymar’s £198m move from Barcelona to PSG in 2017.
News of the bid came earlier on Monday, and PSG were always likely to accept to as president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has no intention of losing him for free in summer 2024.
Mbappe came desperately close to joining Carlo Ancelotti’s side in 2022. But he performed a sensational U-turn and stayed at PSG, putting pen to paper on a new deal.
But Mbappe’s future may not be at either Al-Hilal or Real Madrid. At least five clubs reached out to French giants PSG over the weekend to register their interest in the attacker, according to Sky Sports.
Three of those clubs are Premier League teams, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham all keen on Mbappe.
United are looking to bring in a striker this summer after Cristiano Ronaldo left midway through last season. They have been linked with Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund, as they look to add to their frontline after signing midfielder Mason Mount and goalkeeper Andre Onana.
If completed, the deal would eclipse Neymar’s £198m move from Barcelona to PSG as the most expensive in football history
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez may have been one of those to reach out to PSG, with the Spanish giants heavily linked with signing Mbappe for free next year
Chelsea and Manchester United also remain keen on signing Mbappe, 24, this summer
Meanwhile, Chelsea only managed to score 38 goals last term, finishing down in 12th place. They have brought in Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson since then, but it appears a move for Mbappe appeals to their big-spending owner Todd Boehly.
Spurs could lose Harry Kane this summer, with Bayern Munich refusing to give up in their pursuit of the England captain, and the north London club may view Mbappe as the ideal replacement.
There has also been interest from Europe, with Barcelona and Inter Milan making contact with PSG. A switch to Barcelona would be a major shock given Mbappe’s admiration for their bitter rivals Madrid.
Inter made last season’s Champions League final, and signing Mbappe would be a major coup, with the club looking to bring in reinforcements after Edin Dzeko moved to Fenerbahce and Romelu Lukaku snubbed a return to the club.
PSG have received a mix of offers, with the possibility of a player-plus-cash deal being discussed.
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