"Big players like Kane, Bellingham left money for their club" - Nasser Al-Khelaifi’s arguments against Kylian Mbappe come to light
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) president Nasser Al-Khelaifi's appeals to keep Kylian Mbappe at the club have recently been revealed. According to French outlet L'Equipe (via Madrid Xtra), the executive made a variety of arguments in the hopes of convincing the Frenchman to stay.
The Qatari initially claimed that the 25-year-old couldn't afford to leave the club on a free transfer. This comes after he rejected contract extension offers from Les Parisiens. He is now set to run his contract down and join Real Madrid as a free agent.
This could prove detrimental to PSG, who are losing one of their best players and receiving no transfer fee in return. Al-Khelaifi reportedly pointed to the examples of Harry Kane with Tottenham Hotspur and Jude Bellingham with Borussia Dortmund to the Frenchman. Kane (€120 million) and Bellingham (€103 million) commanded massive transfer fees for their sides despite their intentions to leave last summer.
Mbappe was also told that his presence would be a driving force for the European Super League. The tournament was an idea of Europe's top clubs to create their own league. The PSG president suggested that the 24-year-old could bring eyes to the tournament. He reportedly said:
“You can’t leave for free & strengthen our biggest rivals”
“Big players like Kane & Bellingham left money for their club”
“You’re going to legitimize the Super League”
However, L'Equipe reported further that these arguments couldn't change the star attacker's mind. He announced his intention to leave the club at the end of the season and is almost certain to make the move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid set to deny Kylian Mbappe permission to join France squad for 2024 Olympics - Reports
Real Madrid have decided to not allow Kylian Mbappe to play for France in the 2024 Olympics. According to French outlet L'Equipe (via BolaVIP), Los Blancos are keen on ensuring that the star attacker stays healthy.
Further, Real Madrid are keen on integrating Mbappe into the squad immediately and feel that the Olympics could interfere with that plan. They will begin a pre-season tour of the United States late in July, with the Olympics scheduled for the same time.
The 24-year-old is set to complete a move to the Spanish giants after years of being linked with Los Merengues. A report earlier from L'Equipe claimed that French President Emmanuel Macron had requested Los Blancos to allow Mbappe to feature in the Olympics, but it was denied.
The 2024 Olympics are set to be hosted in Paris. The group stage will kick off on 24 July, with the finals scheduled for 9 August. Hosts France have been drawn alongside the United States, Guinea, and New Zealand.