Kylian Mbappe: Paris Saint-Germain accept world record £259m bid from Al-Hilal
Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal have kicked off a transfer scramble for Kylian Mbappe by tabling a package worth €1bn (£865m) for the France and Paris Saint-Germain striker.
PSG accepted Al-Hilal’s offer, which includes a potential world record transfer fee of €300m (£259m) and a contract worth €700m (£605m) a year for Mbappe.
The 24-year-old has been put up for sale by the French champions after he informed the club that he would not be extending his contract, which expires next summer.
Real Madrid and Mbappe are mutual long-term admirers and the Spanish giants remain his most likely destination – if a deal can be agreed with PSG.
The Parisians believe there will be no shortage of clubs with the funds and appetite to bid for Mbappe, although few if any will be able to match Al-Hilal’s offer.
And it remains unclear whether the former Monaco player would be interested in leaving France for anywhere other than Madrid.
A further issue holding up progress is an eight-figure bonus that Mbappe is believed to be due if he remains with PSG at the end of this month.
PSG have left their star player out of their touring party for a pre-season trip to Asia, effectively advertising his availability.
The club are undergoing a summer overhaul which could see all three star forwards Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar depart the Parc des Princes.
Were Mbappe to take up Al-Hilal’s offer, it would smash the world transfer record set when PSG paid €222m (£200m) to buy Neymar out of his contract at Barcelona in 2017.
Mbappe himself cost €180m (£163m) when he made his move from Monaco to PSG permanent in 2018 – currently the second most expensive transfer of all time.
He has scored 212 goals in 260 games across six seasons in the French capital, during which time he also won the World Cup and led his country to second place in Qatar last year.
Al-Hilal are one of four Saudi clubs to have recruited a host of big-name players from Europe after being acquired by the country’s Public Investment Fund.