Chelsea are set to express their interest in Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe after the France star made a decision not to extend his contract beyond 2024, according to The Times.
Mbappe’s current deal with the Ligue 1 champions expires at the end of next season, with the option of another year and there was a deadline of July 31 for the 24-year-old to tell PSG if he was going to renew until 2025.
On Tuesday, the forward sent the club a letter saying he will not trigger the option to extend his deal by a further year, meaning he would be free to leave next summer.
The newspaper claims PSG will not let Mbappe leave on a free transfer so the superstar could be sold this summer with Chelsea among those eyeing a sensational swoop.
The Blues were first linked with a move for the France international last summer but he opted to extend his contract with PSG. Chelsea desperately need attacking reinforcements and it appears they’re ready to renew their interest in Mbappe.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have already agreed a deal with RB Leipzig to sign Christopher Nkunku this summer following his impressive performances for the Bundesliga side.
He scored for Leipzig as they clinched the DFB-Pokal for the second successive year following a 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the final. The France striker netted 23 goals and provided nine assists in 36 games for Leipzig last season, however, Chelsea are keen on adding another forward to their squad.
Quality signing
According to The Times, PSG want to keep Mbappe, but if they are forced to sell him they would hope to strike a deal in which they will agree a fee for an eventual move but keep hold of him for another season.
Manchester United and Real Madrid are the other two clubs named in the report who could make a move for the World Cup winner this summer.
Mbappe is regarded as one of the best strikers in the world alongside Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. He moved to Parc des Princes in 2017 initially on loan from AS Monaco before sealing a €180m move.
The highly-rated striker has scored 212 goals and registered 98 assists in 260 games for PSG across all competitions. He is currently the club’s all-time top scorer. Mbappe ended last season with 29 goals, becoming Ligue 1’s top scorer for the fifth consecutive time, and has won five league titles in his six seasons at PSG.
He has capped 68 times for France and netted 38 goals, including a remarkable hat-trick in last year’s World Cup final in Qatar, as France lost 4-2 on penalties to Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
Mbappe is valued at £154m by Transfermarkt, however, PSG could sell to the highest bidder if the likes of Man Utd and Madrid join Chelsea in the race to sign him.
Read more: Chelsea submit opening bid to sign £52m star
