World

PSG accept world record £259m bid from Saudi club for footballer Kylian Mbappe

Paris Saint-Germain have accepted Al Hilal’s world record bid of €300m (£259m) to sign Kylian Mbappe.

Qatari-owned PSG believe at least five clubs are interested in signing the France captain, with Tottenham said to be among them, Sky Sports News understands.

The French champions have given Mbappe permission to speak to the Saudi club.

The 24-year-old forward had 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.

The offer is not the only one PSG have received, according to Sky Sports News chief reporter, Kaveh Solhekol.

The French club has also been approached with a mix of offers for Mbappe, including cash plus players.

Other interested clubs are said to include Manchester United, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Barcelona.

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.

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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.

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.”