In the League circuit, nothing has intrigued the way few episodes have in the past. For example, Messi’s mercurial ties with his erstwhile club Barca, Ronaldo’s growing discomfiture within Juventus or Barcelona’s financial mess. Now, one more spicy affair can be added to this growing list of curious cases: Kylian Mbappe’s future course of action.
After joining Paris Saint Germain (PSG) in the 2017-18 season on a loan deal, the French superstar became an inseparable aspect of the club in the 2018-19 season. Everything was hunky-dory in the initial part of his stay at the Parisian club, as he was gelling well with everyone in the team (including the Brazilian star striker Neymar) but since the entry of Messi into the fold Mbappe’s discomfort gradually came to the fore and he expressed on several occasions his willingness to shift to another club.
What has added to the intrigue is his blow hot and cold approach towards his future course of action. After PSG thwarted Real Madrid’s attempts to snare the French away it became apparent that Mbappe wants to make a switch, if not now then when his contract expires with the present club. However, in November last year, he obfuscated the whole scenario further while talking to TNT Sports, “I don’t know yet. I am here. I said I had 5 extraordinary years. I enjoyed every moment, and I’m still doing it. There are a lot of big things coming up, big deadlines, but I’ve already talked about them.”
What was surprising was that this statement came just a month before he revealed his intention to move away from the PSG. “I turned down six or seven extension offers, that I don’t want to talk to Leonardo anymore, that’s absolutely not true. I asked to leave because, from the moment I did not want to extend, I wanted the club to have a transfer fee to be able to sign a quality replacement,” He said back in October 2021.
However, the uncertainty has not affected his game at all as he has netted 19 times for PSG out of the 28 games, among all competitions, he had turned in for the Parisian club in the 2020-21 season. Mbappe has, in fact, hit 10 goals for the team in 20 Ligue 1 matches aside from scoring four goals in six UEFA Champions League 2021-22 games. These feats clearly turn him into a hot pick for various clubs in the summer of July when his obligations come to an end for the PSG.
The question that remains is, what does he want? Whether he wants to stay with PSG or move over to a new place. The answer to the question can only be provided by Mbappe himself but his cryptic responses offer zero clues. As the whole saga was taking an unknown direction, a report in the reputed Daily Mail has further complicated the matter. It states that Real Madrid has finally succeeded in persuading Mbappe to join them at the end of summer as a free agent. This comes on top of the report that the French striker is even eyeing a spot in Santiago Bernabeu.
Well, the whole saga is unravelling like a Hitchcockian thriller as the person in question is right in front of our eyes, but his next move or motive is unclear due to his unpredictable demeanour. So, only Mbappe can provide some clarity regarding his future. Till then, let’s soak in the mysterious trajectory of one of the fascinating episodes in the League’s history.
