Paris Saint-Germain attacker Kylian Mbappe spearheaded the French club to their 12th Trophee des Champions as they beat Toulouse 2-0 in the final to start 2024 with a title.
Mbappe netted the second goal to ensure the title remained in Paris for another season.
However, all eyes immediately panned to Mbappe after the win, with his future up for discussion again as he enters the final six months of his contract with the reigning Ligue 1 champions.
The 25-year-old has told the club he will not extend his contract by another 12 months, and the club responded by sidelining him – a power play to force his hand to sign on the dotted line.
But the move backfired, as they looked blunt in attack in his absence following the departure of Lionel Messi and Neymar.
They have since reinstated him, and he promised to waive a €100 million loyalty bonus if he leaves for nothing.
The World Cup winner can now speak to clubs interested in securing his services but admitted he has not decided on his next move.
“First of all, I’m very, very, very motivated for this year – it’s very important,” Mbappe said (via L’Equipe).
“As I said, we’ve got titles to go after, and we’ve already won one, so that’s already done. After that, no, I haven’t made up my mind yet.
“But in any case, with the agreement I made with the chairman [Nasser Al-Khelaifi] this summer, it doesn’t matter what I decide.
“We managed to protect all parties and preserve the club’s serenity for the challenges ahead, which remains the most important thing. So we’ll say it’s secondary.”
However, his cryptic words hold hidden clues. The ‘agreement’ he mentions, forged with club chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, hints at a mutual understanding – perhaps an unspoken acceptance of an impending summer farewell.
We’ve been here several times. He was close to joining Real Madrid in 2022 but eventually signed an extension with PSG.
Los Blancos, red-faced after repeated rejections, will launch another offensive. PSG will pull out all the stops to convince him to stay.
Mbappe’s statement may lack clarity, but it speaks volumes. The move has felt inevitable for a while, and Los Blancos could get the deal across the line this summer.
