Paris Saint-Germain do not want to let Kylian Mbappe leave for free when his contract expires next summer; Liverpool had been touted as a potential loan destination for the forward but Jurgen Klopp has exclusively told Sky Germany the "financial conditions don't suit us at all"
Wednesday 2 August 2023 17:02, UK
Jurgen Klopp has dismissed the idea of Liverpool signing Kylian Mbappe this summer.
The Merseyside club had been touted as a potential loan destination as Paris Saint-Germain and Mbappe look to find a solution for the final year of his contract.
PSG do not want to let him leave for free when his deal expires next summer although he was not interested in discussing a potential one-year move to Saudi Arabia last week after Al Hilal lodged a world-record £259m bid - and now Klopp has ruled out a move to Liverpool.
"We laugh about it," Klopp exclusively told Sky Germany. "I can say that I think he's a really good player but the financial conditions don't suit us at all. I wouldn't like to ruin the story now... but as far as I know, there's nothing to it.
"It's possible that someone else from the club is preparing something and wants to surprise me... that hasn't happened in the eight years that I've been here. That would be the first time."
Mbappe had until midnight on Monday to trigger a one-year extension to his PSG contract which would have ended his stand-off with the club, but he did not use the option.
He has also turned down the offer of a clause inserted into a contract extension which would have guaranteed he could leave next summer. Mbappe declined the opportunity of any talks on this offer.
Mbappe is now entitled to £51.5m (€60m) from PSG, payable in instalments, as a loyalty bonus. Not all this money is guaranteed but the club will have to pay him most of it although he won't be receiving it any time soon. Mbappe remains formally available for sale.
The 24-year-old was dropped from the club's pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea and put up for sale on July 21 because PSG knew he wasn't going to renew and they wanted to sell him as quickly as possible.
They believe he has already agreed to join Real Madrid when he becomes a free agent next summer.
The big question is whether Real Madrid will make a bid for Mbappe in this window or risk losing him to another club.
PSG are expecting Real Madrid to make a half-hearted bid late in the window which they know the club will reject. Bidding will make it look as if they tried to pay a fee for the player.
PSG have had various approaches for Mbappe in the past 10 days and have had significant interest from big European clubs involving potential player swap deals.
August 12 is the next significant date in the Mbappe saga when PSG play their first game of the season at home to Lorient. What head coach Luis Enrique decides when it comes to his squad and starting XI, plus the reaction of PSG fans to Mbappe could accelerate his departure from the club.
Mbappe is not interested in meeting representatives from Al Hilal to discuss a move to Saudi Arabia.
PSG gave Al Hilal permission to speak to Mbappe after the Saudi club made a world-record €300m (£259m) offer for the player.
Representatives of Al Hilal were in Paris last week but there was no meeting with Mbappe's camp.
PSG insiders believe Mbappe is refusing to speak to Al Hilal because he has already agreed to move to Real Madrid as a free agent next summer when his contract expires.
PSG have triggered a clause in Ousmane Dembele's contract which gives them five days to negotiate his transfer with Barcelona.
Dembele had a £42.9m (€50m) release clause in his contract until midnight on Monday.
The winger wants to move to PSG but he wants to make sure Barcelona get as fair a price as possible.
Barcelona signed him from Borussia Dortmund in a £135.5m deal in 2017 after PSG triggered Neymar's £200m release clause.
PSG are also in talks to sign France forward Randal Kolo Muani from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
