PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi insists Kylian Mbappe never wanted to leave amid Real Madrid links

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi claims that he always knew Kylian Mbappe would stay at the club this summer despite interest from Real Madrid.  

The LaLiga side believed they had agreed a deal to sign the forward last month as his contract in Paris was expiring – only for him to stun the world and sign a new three-year deal in the French capital. 

Mbappe will earn a staggering £650,000-a-week until June 2025, making him one of the highest paid players in the world. He will also have control over image rights and receive a £126million signing-on bonus.

Kylian Mbappe snubbed Real Madrid and signed a new three-year contract at PSG last month

However, Al-Khelaifi insists that money was not important in extending the 23-year-old’s contract. He also claims that Real Madrid made PSG a late offer of £155million to sign Mbappe, despite him being available for free. 

‘He is our player and he had other clubs in England besides Madrid, but he has chosen PSG and we have not spoken with him or with his family about his money until the last moment,’ Al-Khelaifi told Marca. 

‘I have great respect for Real Madrid as a club, it’s a great club, but Kylian has never decided to renew for the money. They made an offer of €170million (£146m) and €180million (£155m). Which means that Madrid’s offer plus his salary was already better than ours. 

The forward was heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid as his previous PSG deal ran down

But PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi claims he always knew Mbappe would stay at the club

‘I turned down €180million and they told me I was crazy. People I trusted, because he could go for free, but I did it because I was sure that Kylian was going to stay because I know him and his family well, I know what he wants.

‘Kylian was above all interested in the project, football and sports. He is Parisian, he is French, and he wanted to stay here to represent his city and his country, his club, and what has been said about him is not fair. For him money is not the most important thing, he wanted to win and he want a sports project.’

It is the latest war of words between Al-Khelaifi and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who was left disgruntled after being snubbed by Mbappe – a player he has vigorously pursued for the last two years. 

Florentino Perez has alleged that it was the 23-year-old’s ‘dream’ to play for Real Madrid

Perez claims that it was Mbappe’s ‘dream’ to play for Real Madrid and that the forward repeatedly told him he would sign at the Bernabeu before changing his mind just ’15 days’ before agreeing a new deal at PSG. 

But Al-Khelaifi slammed this allegation and maintained that there was never a chance that the French international would move to Los Blancos. 

‘I have known for 18 months that Mbappe wanted to stay and he said it whenever I asked,’ the PSG president said. ‘I heard that in Madrid they said that he wanted to play in Madrid, but it was not true. 

‘Kylian is very serious, professional, and what he wants to win and play, he doesn’t care about money. I understand that Madrid is disappointed, but it’s not fair to say that about Mbappe.’