Izuchukwu OkosiParis Saint-Germain (PSG) has left out Kylian Mbappe from their pre season tour of Japan and South Korea fuelling speculations that the France international of Cameroon descent is set to be sold to the highest bidder this summer.
Mbappe was courted by Real Madrid last summer but following the alleged involvement of President Emmanuel Macron, the forward extended his contract at his French club which saw him take him home close to £1m every week.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHowever, the player whose new deal expires in 2024 is not keen to further extend his stay in Paris albeit he wants to see out his current contract with the hierarchy at the club insisting that he would be sold if he does not put pen on paper for a new deal.
“I still have a year left on my contract and I am going to honour my contract,” Mbappe who spent his summer holidays in Yaounde said.
Not ready to face the prospect of losing “the world’s best player” for nothing, PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi gave Mbappe a two-week window to rescind his decision which was not accepted by the marksman.
When training resumed on July 15, Khelaifi again asked the Mbappe camp to clarify the situation. But he has not received a response, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told AFP.
Mbappe has been taking part in the club’s pre-season preparations and played the last 30 minutes and scored as PSG entertained Le Havre in a training ground friendly on Friday evening.
Updates on the saga on Saturday indicate that the Professional Players Union in France (UNFP) will intervene in the situation.
A press release is expected in the coming hours, which will provide a reminder that article 507 of the professional football charter must be respected.
The article states that clubs must give their players under contract the means to train to allow them to reach or maintain a sufficient physical level to allow them to compete at a professional level.
Whilst clubs are allowed to “loft” players, from 1st July until 31st August, taking them out of the first-team training sessions whilst awaiting a departure from the club, those players must then be reintegrated after this two-month period.
Failing that, they must create a second training group, composed of at least 10 players.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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