World

World record bid made for Mbappe

Saudi football club Al Hilal have made a world record £259m bid for Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe.

Sky Sports News reported at least five clubs have contacted the French club in recent days about signing Mbappe – with Premier League sides among those interested.

The 24-year-old has been put up for sale by the French champions, who have also left him out of the club’s pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea

PSG said they would only include players they believe are committed to the club.

Relations between Mbappe and PSG have been tense since the French forward said last month he would not renew his contract which expires at the end of next season, when he could leave Paris for free.

PSG President Nasser al Khelaifi has said they will not let him go for free.

According to media reports, the Parisian club believe he has already agreed terms to join Real Madrid for free next summer.

Alongside the Premier League and Spain, there is also said to be interest in the player’s signature from leading clubs in Italy.

Mbappe reportedly cost more than £150m when he signed from Monaco.

The player joined PSG in 2017 on an initial season-long loan deal, which was later made permanent.

The French captain is unlikely to play for PSG again unless he agrees to extend his contract.

Some reports state he earns as much as £2m a week at PSG and would be in line for even more money if a deal with his current club is agreed.

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There is plenty of speculation about the sums of money Mbappe could earn as he enters what are normally seen as the prime years of a footballer’s career.

The players’ union in France has accused PSG of morally harassing Mbappe.

The Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionels (UNFP) has also threatened the club with legal action to protect the forward’s rights.

A statement from the UNFP said: “These players – all of them – must enjoy the same working conditions as the rest of the professional workforce.”