Los Blancos don’t need another world-class left-sided forward, but the France captain was bound to finish up at Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid had waited two years for Kylian Mbappe. Tic followed tac, then tic, and finally tac. Then, on August 14, 2023, a deafening quiet was heard all throughout the earth. Even the Madrid cheerleaders on El Chiringuito halted their infamous countdown. “A historic moment”, they declared with typical bombast. “It’s OVER!”

It was not, of course. Nobody suspected that for a second, including Mbappe’s employers at Parc des Princes. Paris Saint-Germain understood better than anyone that the uncertainty over their star player’s future would continue unabated because the move to Madrid had just been postponed, not canceled.

 

So here we are again, with Mbappe reportedly ready for a free transfer to Santiago Bernabeu. The main difference this time is that it appears that the most painfully protracted transfer saga in football history will finally come to a close.

When the World Cup winner signed a new contract in May 2022, PSG attempted to make it appear as if he had committed to the club until 2025 – but the final year was optional, and it has long been clear that he had no intention of seeing it through.

Perhaps things would have been different if Luis Enrique had made a bigger, more positive impression in Paris, but while PSG is now top of Ligue 1 (naturally) and has advanced to the Champions League round of 16, they aren’t playing especially well.

 

Mbappe has been typically prolific, scoring 29 goals in 28 games in all competitions, but he does not appear content. Of course, one could clearly claim that he rarely does anymore, at least while playing for PSG.