Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal have submitted their first official bid for French captain and striker Kylian Mbappe, European media reports.
Their first bid is said to be worth a world-record $332 million. Earlier, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) had put Mbappe up for sale after learning from their sources of a verbal agreement between Mbappe and La Liga side Real Madrid for a free transfer next summer.
EXCL: Al Hilal have submitted formal bid to Paris Saint-Germain in order to open talks for Kylian Mbappé.
Understand it’s worth €300m — record fee.
No talks on player side.
PSG remain convinced that Mbappé already agreed terms with Real Madrid with contract ready.
The French Champions also left out star striker from the 29-man pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea, sending out a statement to include only those who are committed to the club.
While PSG received several offers for the young striker, with Tottenham Hotspur also seeking a possibility of bringing Mbappe to the Premier League, Al Hilal have expressed their intention of bagging his services after tabling a world-record fee.
With Mbappe being the most sort after striker in the world, PSG expects more clubs to enter the race for him, with top clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Barcelona among those interested.
While PSG’s top brass is said to be aware of developments between Mbappe and Real Madrid, the decision-makers will listen to all offers and proposals. If it were for the French Champions to sell him on their terms, they would likely sell him to the highest bidder.
The 2018 World Cup winner with France, Mbappe has one year left in his contract and is unwilling to sign a new one despite desperate offers from PSG recently.
Real ready to enter race?
Madrid last season lost the chance to sign the striker, and with this first formal offer coming from a Saudi club, the Champions League giants would be keen on making their move quickly to avoid landing in the same situation as before.
PSG, who signed a rookie Mbappe for nearly $180 million from AS Monaco in 2018, will not want to let him leave for nothing. The French side will look at the possibility to loan Mbappe out for a season if nothing concrete takes place.
Messi also left PSG for Inter Miami
Following the previous season, where PSG’s front three had names like Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Lionel Messi, the French Champions are already without one of them – Messi, who, after a fallout with the club earlier this year, decided to leave them for Inter Miami in MSL.
Messi, last Friday, made his Inter Miami debut and came off the bench to hit the 94th-minute free kick to hand his team a 2-1 win over Cruz Azul.