Following their failure to get Lionel Messi, Saudi Arabian soccer club Al-Hilal made a record 300 million euro ($332 million) bid for Kylian Mbappe on Monday, an offer that might see the France striker join Cristiano Ronaldo in the oil-rich country. Paris Saint-Germain has confirmed the offer for their player and has authorized Al-Hilal to begin direct negotiations with Mbappe.
The World Cup winner is in a contract dispute with PSG after declining the option of a 12-month extension on his contract. He instead intends to leave as a free agent at the end of the current season, when he is largely believed to join Real Madrid. PSG withdrew Mbappe from its preseason trip to Japan on Saturday, indicating that the French club is prepared to sell him unless he signs a new contract. A new contract currently appears exceedingly unlikely, with Mbappe’s relationship with PSG growing increasingly strained.
Saudi Arabia sports investments face “sportswashing” accusations amid controversies
Saudi Arabia has attempted to buy its way into international sports in recent years. Aside from Ronaldo, whose deal is said to be worth up to $200 million per year, Saudi-funded LIV Golf has shaken up professional golf. The moves are part of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s aim to use the kingdom’s oil wealth to create new jobs and opportunities for Saudi youngsters. Critics, though, have derided the initiatives as “sportswashing,” or attempting to use professional sports to clean up the kingdom’s image while it remains one of the world’s top executioners and fights a year-long war in Yemen. US intelligence officials believe Prince Mohammed also ordered the assassination and dismemberment of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
Earlier this year, Al-Hilal failed in its effort to sign Messi, who instead chose to join Inter Miami. The offer for Mbappe would make him the most expensive soccer player in history, surpassing the $262 million PSG paid for Neymar, who joined from Barcelona in 2017. The offer is Saudi Arabia’s most audacious move yet, part of a relentless recruitment campaign to get the game’s best stars to the kingdom.
Saudi clubs sign top European players, boosting soccer’s profile significantly
After Ronaldo agreed to join Al-Nassr in December, Saudi clubs went into overdrive in their pursuit of top players from Europe’s top leagues. Real Madrid legend and current Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema joined Saudi champion Al-Ittihad last month, joining 2018 World Cup winner N’Golo Kante. Other notable names heading to the lucrative Saudi league include Roberto Firmino, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Marcelo Brozovic. The Saudi league is making mega-money offers to players in an effort to increase the profile and quality of soccer in the kingdom.
While it was insufficient to persuade Messi to leave PSG for Al-Hilal, other players are anticipated to follow in the footsteps of Ronaldo and co. Riyad Mahrez and Jordan Henderson, both Premier League players, have recently been linked with moves away from Manchester City and Liverpool, respectively. The reported salary and marketing deals for Ronaldo, Benzema, and Kante could total nearly $1 billion.
Mbappe intends to see out PSG contract; Real Madrid interested
Mbappe has stated that he intends to see out the final year of his contract, leaving PSG unable to prevent him from departing for nothing the next year. The French champions, who are owned by Qatar Sports Investments, have previously watched Messi depart for nothing and are determined to earn a fee for a player widely seen as one of the few capable of taking over as soccer’s biggest star from Messi and Ronaldo. His absence from PSG’s touring squad in Japan raises the prospect of him being benched next season if he refuses to sign a contract or agrees to depart during the current transfer window.
Al-Hilal are thought to be among a number of teams who have been made aware of his potential availability, but none are expected to match the bid that has been made. There was speculation that he will join Real Madrid, which had a $190 million proposal rejected by PSG in 2021. After losing Benzema at the end of the season, Madrid is in need of a top-tier forward. Mbappe had until July 31 to activate a one-year contract extension. He has been at the club since 2017, after joining from Monaco on a reputed $190 million trade.