The Kylian Mbappe transfer saga would rival the Kardashians for reality TV in another life, such are the number of twists and turns that occur every time the transfer window swings open.
As things stand, the Paris Saint-Germain star is set to leave the club on a free next summer upon the expiration of his contract. The Ligue 1 champions are keen to avoid that scenario, however, standing firm on their decision that either Mbappe signs a new deal or he leaves this summer, club President Nasser Al-Khelaifi recently reiterated.
The issue seems to be that the Frenchman wants to stay at the club for another season, and with the knowledge that he will be a free agent this time next year, the likes of Real Madrid are reportedly willing to wait 12 months to get a deal done.
Al-Khelaifi recently spoke on the situation, saying: "I was really shocked to learn that Mbappé intended to leave for free.
"Kylian is a fantastic boy, a gentleman… and leaving for free, when we're the biggest French club, it's not at his level. I was shocked and disappointed."
And six of his teammates are also pretty angry about Mbappe's antics, if reports are to be believed too.
The news of the winger's stance has not gone down well with former PSG director Leonardo Araujo, either, who did not hold back when asked about the transfer saga.
What did Leonardo say about Mbappe?
Speaking to L'equipe, Leonardo said: “PSG existed before Kylian Mbappe and it will exist after him. He has been in Paris for six years and in those six seasons, five different clubs have won the Champions League.
"This means that it is entirely possible to win this competition without him. With his behaviour over the past two years, Mbappe shows that he is not yet a player capable of really guiding a team.
"He is a great player, not a leader. He is a great scorer, not a creative. It's hard to build a team around him. For the good of PSG, I think the time has come for Mbappe to leave, no matter how.”
What is Kylian Mbappe's transfer value?
Mbappe's price tag will reportedly become clear once a decision is made on his future, according to Romano. As per Transfermarkt, though, the star striker is currently worth €180m (£153.43m), which is about how much PSG initially paid AS Monaco to secure his signature back in 2018.
Given the fact that he will be a free agent in 12 months, however, the Ligue 1 giants could be forced to settle for a cut-price sale of their star man if they want to secure a transfer fee this summer.
Clubs will be well aware of Mbappe's situation, and perhaps PSG's desperation to make some money back on the initial deal they made with Monaco. Their worst-case scenario will be seeing the 24-year-old walk away for free next summer.
As the transfer saga continues, it will certainly be interesting to keep an eye on the relationship between the club and the player. Things already look like they're heading for a downward spiral, and as both parties remain stubborn with their stance, even more drama could unfold over the coming weeks and months.
