The big announcement finally came for the fans with PSG tickets. Their superstar player, Kylian Mbappe, officially announced that he will be a Real Madrid player and will make the transfer.
It was news that PSG fans knew was coming all along since 2022, but it is still a hard pill to swallow. Ever since he moved from AS Monaco to Paris, Kylian Mbappe has been the lifeblood of the club, winning the hearts of everyone with PSG tickets.
But now, the superstar has left. Now, the question is who could replace the superstar. Paris Saint-Germain appear to have identified their Kylian Mbappe replacement.
In February, it was widely reported that Mbappe would join Real Madrid this summer after he told PSG he intended to leave the club upon the expiry of his contract in June. Four months later, Mbappe’s move to the Spanish giants was confirmed, with the French forward all set to pen a five-year contract.
He said about the impending transfer: “A dream come true. I am so happy and proud to join the club of my dreams, Real Madrid. Nobody can understand how excited I am right now.”
Earlier this year, Le Parisien claimed that Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was PSG’s priority target to replace Mbappe, and talks between all parties were said to be advancing well. Knowing the situation early, PSG was already prepping to sign a star player to take the Mbappe spot since they desperately needed a high-talent player to replace the exiting Mbappe.
It was initially reported that PSG were not looking for a direct Mbappe replacement on the left flank, having instead opted to trust Bradley Barcola. However, the French publication claims PSG is keen on signing a left-winger, with Kvaratskhelia identified as the priority target.
Talks between relevant parties were reported. Kvaratskhelia’s agent, Mamuka Jugeli, recently confirmed that PSG had sent an offer to sign the player. “Interest from Saudi clubs is not true, but there is interest and an offer from PSG. It all depends on Napoli and De Laurentiis,” he told Georgian reporters, as quoted by Alfredo Pedulla.
Kvaratskhelia is said to be open to a move to the Parc des Princes, with Le Parisien deeming talks between the player’s agents and PSG particularly positive. The Georgian’s Napoli contract runs until 2027, although Napoli is reportedly looking to hold out for around €80million (£68.83 million). Moreover, Napoli is already said to be scouring the market for a Kvaratskhelia replacement, which suggests the deal to take the 23-year-old to Paris is progressing well.
Whether the Georgian would replace the likes of Mbappe will be one question everyone with PSG tickets will continue to ask. Only time will tell.
Osimhein Not in the Equation Paris Saint-Germain have ended their chase of Victor Osimhen sooner than the Parisiens expressed their interest with an initial €130 million offer for the Napoli striker. The club were looking towards Serie A for Mbappe’s replacement, with names including Rafael Leao of Milan and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen prominently featured in the discourse. However, the French outlet now reports that coach Luis Enrique later settled for Kvaratskhelia as the number one priority for the role.
Osimhen is also strongly linked with Chelsea, who made an offer of €90 million plus Romelu Lukaku for the Nigerian striker just a day after PSG made a €90 million plus €40 million first offer that went viral. GiveMeSport recently reported that Chelsea’s pursuit of the player was boosted, as the former Lille star was reportedly open to moving to Stamford Bridge this summer. Osimhen, 25, extended his contract with Napoli until 2026 in December. A few weeks later, he decided to leave the club by season’s end for a destination known only to him and his agent. Chelsea has always been the most likely destination for the U17 World Cup winner, who wants to follow in the footsteps of his idol Didier Drogba at Stamford Bridge.
Mbappe – Unhappy with PSG PSG’s all-time leading goalscorer refused to sign a year’s extension to his contract last August, leading to a stand-off that saw him train away from the first team. While he signed his all-new contract, making him one of the highest-paid footballers in the world, Mbappe also reflected that his time towards the end at PSG was unpleasant.
Insider sources also revealed that the club management was not in favour of playing him in the second half of the season after the French striker refused to sign a fresh contract. “At PSG, I wasn’t unhappy, that would be biting the hand that feeds you and spitting in the face of all the people who defended me, but things and people made me unhappy,” said Mbappe. “But there are things you can’t show because I was a leader, and you don’t follow someone who drags their sadness around.”
Mbappe said PSG boss Luis Enrique and adviser Luis Campos “saved me”. “Without them, I would never have set foot on the field again,” he added on the eve of France’s friendly relationship with Luxembourg in Metz. Looking back at his illustrious career with PSG, Mbappe won six Ligue 1 titles and several domestic trophies. The only trophy that he might regret not winning was the Champions League. He and the PSG side came close to winning it once, making it to the finals, but they could not go the distance.
Real Madrid has been Mbappe’s dream club, and it is his dream come true. “It’s the club where I always dreamed of being. I’m going there with a lot of excitement and humility.”
Ousmane Dembele will now have to lead PSG’s frontline in Mbappe’s absence and regroup while awaiting a new signing. For PSG, the next season will most likely be a year of transition as they prepare to play without Mbappe for years. However, one thing PSG has done well is adaptability. When the club had Messi and Neymar, they adapted to their playing style. While things didn’t go entirely as planned with the two, fans with PSG tickets will agree that it was a great time to watch the side play.
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