Kylian Mbappe stunned football fans after the 2022-23 Ligue 1 season, when he sent a letter to the PSG board, stating that he would not be triggering a 12-month extension on his contract. He needs to agree to an extension by July 31. If he doesn’t agree, then the Frenchman departs PSG as a free agent after the 2023-24 season.
The striker joined PSG on loan from Monaco in 2017, before his move was made permanent in a deal worth 145 million euros, plus 35 million euros in add-ons a year later. For the past 2 seasons, he has been linked to Real Madrid and the La Liga club is expected to be his next destination.
Mbappe’s stance on his contract situation has received plenty of criticism from fans and former players, with Paolo Di Canio joining the bandwagon. “PSG put themselves in this situation, pampered it and it became a global brand. (The club) already fell for it last year and now Mbappé continues to play up”, said the Italian.
“We can talk about the mistakes of PSG but there is also the indecency of the boy I call it indecency because he already took advantage of it last year and now he wants to play for a year and then leave as a free agent to win some money at Real Madrid,” he further added.
For sending a letter to the PSG board, Mbappe was criticised for the way he dealt with the situation. Explaining his actions, he said, “I’ve already answered the question. I said my objective was to continue with the club. Staying at Paris Saint-Germain is my only option, for the moment.”
“The letter was sent before (the France squad met up). I didn’t think a letter could kill someone or that I offended anyone. All I did was send a letter. You can’t control people’s reactions, but it doesn’t bother me much,” he further added.