Saudi’s bid US$332 million for Mbappe, would make France star most expensive player ever
- PSG are determined to sell striker before his contract expires and have given Saudi club permission talk to player
- Move would dwarf US$262 million PSG paid for Neymar when the team signed the Brazilian from Barcelona in 2017
After missing out on Lionel Messi, Saudi Arabian football team Al-Hilal made a record €300 million (US$332 million) bid for Kylian Mbappe on Monday, which could see the France striker join Cristiano Ronaldo in the oil-rich kingdom.
Paris Saint-Germain confirmed the offer for its player and has given Al Hilal permission to open negotiations directly with Mbappe.
The 2018 World Cup winner is in a contract standoff with PSG after his decision not to take up the option of a 12-month extension on his deal. Instead, he plans to walk away as a free agent at the end of the upcoming season when he is widely expected to join Real Madrid.
PSG cut Mbappe from their preseason tour of Japan on Saturday, with the French club determined to sell him unless he can be convinced to sign a new contract.
Al Hilal’s bid would make Mbappe the most expensive player in history, overtaking the US$262 million PSG paid for Neymar when the team signed the Brazilian from Barcelona in 2017.
The bid represents Saudi Arabia’s most ambitious move yet as part of a determined recruitment drive to lure the game’s biggest players to the country.