Kylian Mbappé has recently been in talks with Al Hilal, a soccer team based in Saudi Arabia. According to reports, Al Hilal has made a record-breaking offer of $332 million to sign the French player. If Mbappé accepts this offer, he could be joining fellow soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo in playing for the Saudi Arabian league. This article will explore the possibility of Mbappé moving to Saudi Arabia and what his move would mean for both the player and the team.
Saudi Team Makes Record Offer of $332 Million for Kylian Mbappé
Al Hilal, a team in the Saudi Professional League, has offered to buy a French striker from Paris St.-Germain for a record-breaking amount, making it the most expensive transfer in soccer history.
Saudi Arabia is trying to make its local soccer league more attractive and has successfully recruited famous players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. However, their biggest goal is to sign Kylian Mbappé, which would be a much greater achievement than their previous signings.
During the weekend, Al Hilal, a well-known team in the Saudi Professional League, made an offer of $332 million to Paris St.-Germain for French striker Mbappé. If the deal is completed, it would surpass the previous record of $263 million paid by P.S.G. for Brazilian forward Neymar six years ago, making Mbappé the most expensive player in the history of sports by a considerable margin.
The official bid was sent to P.S.G.’s chief executive, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, on Saturday. It was signed by Al Hilal’s chief executive, and it confirmed the price the club was prepared to pay and requested permission to discuss salary and the length of a contract with Mbappé. On Monday, it was reported by some news outlets that P.S.G. had granted that request.
According to three anonymous sources who were not authorized to disclose details, Al Hilal was planning to have initial discussions with Fayza Lamari, Mbappé’s agent and mother, early this week. To convince Mbappé, who is widely considered as the next best player after Ronaldo and Messi, to leave P.S.G. for a team in a league ranked 58th in the world, it is likely that the club will need to offer him a significantly higher salary, potentially costing hundreds of millions of dollars.
Mbappé, who plays for his hometown club P.S.G., is already receiving a generous salary. In the previous year, he signed a contract worth $36 million annually, complete with a $120 million golden handshake.
Al Hilal, one of the four Saudi teams now owned mostly by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, may not find the amount of money that P.S.G.’s owner, Qatar Sports Investment, can offer him to be a deterrent. Qatar Sports Investment has access to Qatar’s riches.
Al Hilal’s strategy has a component of taking advantage of the situation. Mbappé’s upcoming plans have been widely discussed since the beginning of June when he told P.S.G. that he planned to remain until the end of his contract and leave as a free agent in 2024.
PSG has made it clear that they won’t consider losing a valuable player like Mbappé without compensation. They have told him to sign a new contract that will keep him at the club beyond 2024, or else he will face an uncertain future of either being sold or spending time on the bench as a substitute.
The team has consulted with lawyers to assess their legal standing. Mbappé has asserted that he plans to stay in Paris for the upcoming season, despite being left out of the squad for the club’s preseason tour of Asia due to the ongoing dispute.
Other teams are also looking to benefit from the increasing division between P.S.G. and one of soccer’s most skilled players with a high market value, not just Al Hilal.
PSG has received multiple requests regarding the hypothetical price of Mbappé. Chelsea, currently owned by a consortium that includes private equity firm Clearlake Capital Group, has inquired about the cost of the player. Spanish champions Barcelona have also had talks with PSG about a deal where more than one of their key assets would be exchanged for players from Paris.
Despite being assumed as Mbappé’s preferred choice, Real Madrid has not made any move yet. However, some executives at P.S.G. think that a deal has already been made for Mbappé to move to the Spanish capital in the next summer.
Al Hilal hopes that the fact Mbappé would not typically consider joining them at this point in his career may work to their advantage.
According to reports, the Saudi club is willing to spend a lot of money to bring Mbappé to their team, but they are also willing to let him go to Spain after only one season.
Is Mbappé moving to Saudi Arabia?
While the offer from Al Hilal is tempting, it remains to be seen whether Mbappé will accept it. Mbappé is known for his talent on the field and has already won several awards for his performances. He may be hesitant to leave his current team, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), where he has had great success. However, the offer from Al Hilal is hard to ignore, and Mbappé may be tempted by the opportunity to play alongside Ronaldo in the Saudi Arabian league.
So far, there has been no official confirmation from either Mbappé or Al Hilal regarding the transfer. The negotiations are ongoing, but it remains to be seen whether the deal will be finalized. If Mbappé does decide to join Al Hilal, it will be a significant loss for PSG, who will have to find a replacement for their star striker.
How the record single year offer could still see the French superstar join Real Madrid in 2024
While Al Hilal’s offer is tempting for Mbappé, it may not be his final destination. Reports suggest that Mbappé still has his sights set on joining Real Madrid, one of the world’s most successful soccer teams. In fact, some experts have suggested that the offer from Al Hilal is a strategic move by Mbappé and his representatives to put pressure on Real Madrid to make an offer. If Mbappé were to accept Al Hilal’s offer, he would still have the option of moving to Real Madrid in 2024 when his contract expires.
Conclusion
Kylian Mbappé is one of the most talented soccer players in the world, and his potential transfer to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia is an exciting prospect for fans. While negotiations are ongoing, it remains to be seen whether Mbappé will accept the offer. If he does, he will be joining one of the most ambitious soccer teams in the world, playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. However, there is still a possibility that Mbappé may end up joining Real Madrid in the future. Only time will tell what the future holds for this soccer superstar.