Chelsea joins Kylian Mbappe transfer race as deadline approaches

MUNICH, GERMANY - MARCH 08: Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain looks on during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 leg two match between FC Bayern München and Paris Saint-Germain at Allianz Arena on March 08, 2023 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Boris Streubel/Getty Images)

When Kylian Mbappe told Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) that he won’t extend his contract with the club to 2025 in June, the club gave him the deadline until July 31st to sign an extension or they would sell him.

That deadline arrived Monday, and the French superstar’s transfer situation grew even more complicated with a new player on the table.

According to The Daily Record, Chelsea tried negotiating a player-plus-cash deal with PSG to acquire Mbappe. PSG’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi discussed it with Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly.

Having spent over 500 million euros (about $550.7 million) last season on transfers, Chelsea suffered epic failures in every event they competed in, including ranking 12th in the Premier League. They sold eight players this summer, including Kai Havertz and Mason Mount, to streamline their roster and raise money for new signings.

Having spent 97 million euros (about $106.8 million) to land Christopher Nkunku from Red Bull Leipzig and Noclas Jackson from Villarreal, Chelsea want to add Mbappe’s scoring ability as the 2022 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winner to their offense.

“The Blues” need to battle Liverpool and Rea Marid for Mbappe. Both teams expressed their interest in the 24-year-old French striker. Liverpool previously offered 200 million euros (about $220.2 million) to PSG to sign Mbappe but were outbid by Al Hilal’s 300 million euros (about $330.4 million). PSG agreed to the offer, but Mbappe declined to join the Saudi Professional League and the 700 million euros (about $770.9 million) annual salary they offered him.

According to the Mirror, Liverpool are currently negotiating with PSG to sign Mbappe on loan. Before PSG acquired Mbappe for 180 million euros (about $198.2 million) in 2018 from Monaco, they had him on loan for one season. He scored 21 goals and 16 assists in 44 games for PSG during the 2017-18 season, helping the club win the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France titles.

Of course, Mbappe’s most-preferred destination is Real. It has been years since the La Liga powerhouse tried to bring Mbappe to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. They bid 200 million euros to make the transfer happen before but failed. RMC Sport reported that PSG expect a “low and insulting” offer for Mbappe on Monday.

Abdul Noah Ocholi