Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe is reportedly ready to complete a dramatic U-turn and agree to a new contract with the French champions.
The 24-year-old's future has been a major talking point for the past few transfer windows, but more fuel was added to the fire when it emerged that he was refusing to extend his contract.
Back in 2022, Mbappe unexpectedly snubbed Real Madrid to sign a two-year extension with PSG, which also included a 12-month option until the end of the 2024-25 season.
However, the France international informed PSG earlier this summer that he would not be triggering that clause, leaving Les Parisiens at risk of losing him for nothing at the conclusion of the current campaign.
A defiant Nasser Al-Khelaifi insisted that such a scenario would not be happening under any circumstances, and the club were prepared to go as far as benching Mbappe throughout the season in a bid to force him out.
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True to their word, PSG made the ex-Monaco man train with a group of exiled players dubbed the 'undesirables', and he was left out of the squad for their opening Ligue 1 draw with Lorient.
However, having since held constructive talks with Mbappe, the striker has been reintegrated into Luis Enrique's squad and has netted three goals in two fixtures against Toulouse and Lens this month.
Throughout the saga, Mbappe affirmed on multiple occasions that he wanted to stay at PSG for the 2023-24 campaign before making a decision on his future next year, and he is not expected to leave in what remains of the summer window.
Instead, journalist Marco Conterio claims that the France international will agree to a new contract at the Parc des Princes until 2026, although his new terms will include a release clause - bound via a gentleman's agreement - applicable in 2024.
As a result, Mbappe would be free to join Real Madrid next year should Los Blancos pay his release clause, and the new contract was masterminded by football advisor Luis Campos, whose position would have allegedly been in jeopardy without a renewal.
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Real were not originally searching for a new striker this summer, but Karim Benzema's move to Al-Ittihad forced Los Blancos into the market, and they were inevitably tipped to try again for Mbappe.
However, Real instead brought Joselu to the club on loan from Espanyol, while fellow new signing Jude Bellingham has impressed in the final third with four goals from his first three La Liga appearances.
As a result, Carlo Ancelotti's team will wait until next summer before prioritising the capture of a big-money centre-forward, when Mbappe could finally end his successful - albeit tumultuous - stint at PSG.
The 24-year-old became Les Parisiens' highest scorer of all time last season and now boasts 215 goals from 262 matches for the club in all tournaments, in addition to 98 assists.
Ahead of Mbappe's expected exit in 2024, PSG have brought Goncalo Ramos to the Parc des Princes from Benfica and are not giving up hope of a late swoop for Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani before Friday's transfer deadline.
Ben Knapton
