PSG ax Mbapp from tour, may never play him again – sources

Kylian Mbapp has been ruled out of Paris Saint-Germain team that travels to Japan on Saturday for their pre-season tour and sources have told ESPN that the French champions are considering never playing their star.

The 24-year-old Mbapp has only one year left on his contract, and he has told the club that he intends to terminate his contract and leave as a free agent in the summer of 2024.

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PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has previously said that Mbapp will need to sign a new contract this summer to stay at the club and they are now following that tough stance.

Sources told ESPN that Mbapp, who was told the news on Friday after scoring in a 2-0 friendly win over Le Havre, was surprised by the move but has accepted it.

However, Friday’s development represents a further escalation in the strained relationship between the French club and their marquee player and is likely to deepen the crisis between the two sides.

“The players who don’t want to be here, the door is open,” Al-Khelaifi told the team on Tuesday, without mentioning the French prodigy in the room.

However, Mbapp does not change his mind and signs a new contract. He reiterated that stance to the club earlier this week, further angering Al-Khelaif and the Qatari owners and likely leading to the decision to drop him from the touring squad.

Mbapp, who has finished as Ligue 1’s top scorer for the past five seasons, sent a letter to PSG last month stating he had no intention of renewing his contract.

But he later clarified that he had not asked the French club to allow him to join Spanish giants Real Madrid, who have previously tried and failed to sign the France international.

ESPN reports that the LaLiga giants have everything in place once they get the green light from either Mbapp or PSG. They know that the deal will exceed 200 million because of the premium, add-ons and bonuses.

Madrid are the only club Mbapp wants to join this summer, sources told ESPN, and they are the only team that can realistically afford him.

According to ESPN sources, there has been no contact between the two clubs, but Madrid have been in talks with Mbapp’s inner circle for some time.

If Mbapp breaks his contract, PSG would be unable to recoup any of the 180 million ($197 million) they spent to sign him from AS Monaco in 2017.