Paris Saint-Germain may have one crucial edge over the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool when it comes to a deal for Kylian Mbappe this summer, according to Jonathan Johnson.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing column, the French football expert explained that one crucial factor for Mbappe this year is his personal ambition to play for his country and try to win gold in the Olympics, which are being hosted in Paris.
Mbappe is heading towards the end of his PSG contract and is technically free to start negotiating with new clubs from this month onwards, but it seems Johnson is not expecting anything to be resolved that soon.
For one thing, it seems the France international is not necessarily making it a priority to resolve his future now, as he’s so focused on what could be a hugely important year in his career at international level.
“I think the thing to outline at the moment is that, although we know Real Madrid are interested in signing Mbappe, and we know Liverpool links have come up again recently. The bottom line, however, is that there’s so much Mbappe can achieve in France this season – he’s already picked up silverware for 2024, PSG are top of Ligue 1, and you’ve got the Champions League. PSG may have finished second in their group, but to then land with Real Sociedad in the next round, although not easy by any stretch of the imagination, it’s still a favourable draw for Mbappe and PSG. It gives them a big chance to get to the quarter-finals, and once you’re there it becomes a bit more of a lottery in terms of a path to the final,” Johnson said.
“PSG are a work in progress, but there have been some real signs of encouragement, albeit with some frustration as well. Mbappe will also be looking ahead to the summer, with two international tournaments in Euro 2024 and the Olympics as well, which are being hosted in Paris. My personal belief, and I’ve been saying this for a while now, is that the Olympics are absolutely crucial to Mbappe’s plans for 2024.
“The key thing to consider is that if Mbappe leaves PSG for a new club this summer, I find it very difficult to believe that they would allow him to play at both the Euros and the Olympics because of the time it would mean he’d miss at the beginning of next season. I don’t see Real Madrid or Liverpool granting him that permission, so that plays into PSG’s favour. In PSG’s contract, there was an agreement that he could play in the Olympics, so the possibility of him winning a gold medal in his home city will appeal massively to him.
“I don’t see any way that he’d be willing to compromise and miss out on this – it’s hugely important for his personal ambitions in terms of what he wants to win in his career, as well as his grand image as one of his country’s great athletes.”
Mbappe would be a dream signing for Liverpool, particularly as a long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah, while it would also be hugely exciting to have a big name like him in the Premier League alongside Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
For Real Madrid, meanwhile, it would be quite a statement for them to land a Galactico signing of this calibre, but it may now be a deal that’s slipping away from them slightly.