One of the longest-running soap operas in the world of football transfers appears to be nearing its finale, as Kylian Mbappe has reportedly communicated to Paris Saint-Germain that he will leave the club at the end of the season.
The 25-year-old entered the last six months of his contract with the French champions in January, leaving him free to flirt with foreign clubs and potentially agree to a pre-contract agreement after deciding not to trigger his 12-month PSG extension.
Three years on from rejecting nine-figure sums from Real Madrid, PSG and president Nasser Al-Khelaifi will have egg on their face as the world's second-most expensive player walks away for nothing, although they will still be saving a monumental €200m (£171m) in yearly wages.
Mbappe has not put pen to paper on any pre-contract with potential suitors just yet owing to a gentleman's agreement with Al-Khelaifi, and he will leave without pocketing his loyalty bonus from PSG as he and his camp decide on the destination for what will no doubt be the headline move of the summer window.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at where Mbappe could end up as he prepares to end his goal-laden seven-year stint in Parisian blue.
REAL MADRID
Even before news of Mbappe's imminent exit from PSG reached the public domain, the Real Madrid dressing room have apparently been whispering about the attacker's possible arrival among themselves, and with good reason too.
Los Blancos have been regarded as the favourites to prise Mbappe away from his homeland for almost three years now, having failed with two nine-figure bids - including a second worth £171m - for the Frenchman in 2021, before the dagger in the Real heart was twisted further when he agreed a new PSG deal in 2022.
Real president Florentino Perez had anticipated Mbappe's arrival on a free transfer that summer, and while the Blancos chief was naturally miffed at the Frenchman's decision to stay put, he has never thrown in the towel as he vets candidates to fill the Karim Benzema-sized boots.
Last summer would have ostensibly been prime time for Mbappe to head to Real, who waved goodbye to Al-Ittihad-bound Benzema, but Jude Bellingham's big-money arrival from Borussia Dortmund meant that a swoop for Mbappe as well would have been unfeasible; Espanyol loanee Joselu would join as a temporary solution.
Fast forward to 2024, and Real are supposedly not prepared to offer Mbappe as high a wage packet as they tabled in 2022, leading to some hesitation within the attacker's entourage, but work continues behind the scenes to ensure that he will don the iconic white jersey for 2024-25.
ARSENAL
If for any reason negotiations with Real Madrid collapse, there is the belief that Mbappe could be tempted to pit his wits against Premier League opposition on a weekly basis, offering Arsenal a glimmer of hope in the race for the World Cup winner.
Sixteen goals in their last four Premier League games may tell a different story, but the Gunners are in desperate need of a big-name centre-forward. Gabriel Jesus is inconsistent and injury-riddled, Eddie Nketiah will not spearhead Arsenal to title glory, and Mikel Arteta has tried to mould Kai Havertz into a midfielder to limited success.
After keeping their warchest locked during the January window, when they were walking a Financial Fair Play tightrope, Arsenal will open the chequebook this summer and are expected to prioritise the addition of a marquee number nine, and they arguably do not come bigger than Mbappe.
In recent days, it has been claimed that the former Monaco starlet would be open to exploring a move to Arsenal in order to emulate legendary compatriot Thierry Henry, and with Arteta transforming the Gunners into Premier League title challengers and Champions League competitors, there are few reasons for Mbappe not to join from a sporting point of view.
Arsenal would not have to pay a penny to PSG either, but owing to Mbappe's extortionate wages and anticipated hefty signing-on fee, the Frenchman sporting red and white next season is surely a pipe dream.
LIVERPOOL
Regarded as Real Madrid's main rivals for Mbappe's signature for a few months in 2022, Liverpool are rumoured to have remained in contact with the 25-year-old's entourage ever since trying to find him a home on Merseyside after his breakout 2016-17 season.
While Mbappe would ultimately grace the Parc des Princes field, Liverpool splashed the cash on an equally prolific attacker in the shape of Mohamed Salah, who has sent records tumbling ever since being taken under the wing of Jurgen Klopp.
However, the Egypt international is being lined up to join the Saudi Pro League revolution, and even though Liverpool stood firm and turned down a £150m offer from Al-Ittihad last summer, clubs backed by the Public Investment Fund will not give up the ghost that easy.
With Salah also out of contract in 2025 and no talks over an extension reported to be ongoing, it is not impossible to envisage the Reds cashing in this summer, which would free up transfer funds, a good chunk of their wage bill and - more importantly - a place in their attacking trident for Mbappe to fill.
As is the case with Arsenal, though, the Reds will almost certainly not bow to ridiculous financial demands from Mbappe, and even if he were to agree to a significantly slashed salary, the impending departure of head coach Klopp could lead to some apprehension within his camp.
SAUDI ARABIA
Real Madrid may be yet to formulate an economic package deemed satisfactory by Mbappe's team, but the financial behemoths of the Saudi Pro League are well-placed to let the Frenchman name his price, as would have been the case in 2023.
After agreeing a deal to take Neymar off of their hands, current Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal approached PSG with a world-record €300m (£256.5m) bid for Mbappe while the Frenchman was in exile last summer, which the Ligue 1 champions unsurprisingly accepted.
However, with Mbappe still determined to compete for honours at the highest European level - he is yet to fulfil his dream of becoming a Champions League winner - the attacker quickly shut the door on a Saudi Arabian switch, in spite of the astronomical wages on the table.
PSG are in contention to end their Champions League hoodoo this time around, though - they sunk Real Sociedad 2-0 in Wednesday's last-16 first leg - and if Real's offers continue to fall short, Saudi chiefs may be crossing their fingers that Mbappe will reconsider his stance should he end the 2023-24 season with a European Cup winners' medal around his neck.
Not all celebrated names to join the Saudi Pro League revolution in 2023 have been satisfied with life in the lucrative division, though, as the vilified Jordan Henderson spent just half a season with Al-Ettifaq before calling it quits, and Al-Nassr's Aymeric Laporte claimed last month that several players felt "discontented" in the Middle East before quickly clarifying such comments.
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