Kylian Mbappé has attracted plenty of interest after an excellent breakthrough season with Ligue 1 champions AS Monaco last term.
As a result, Arsenal and Real Madrid have emerged as possible destinations for the teenage wonderkid. In addition, there is a good chance that he’ll remain at Monaco for the time-being, especially with next year’s World Cup in Russia on the horizon.
French football expert Julien Laurens said this on Twitter:
As planned, Kylian Mbappé and his parents are meeting Monaco today to discuss his future and a possible contract extension.
— Julien Laurens (@LaurensJulien) June 15, 2017
Currently, Mbappé has two years’ remaining on his existing deal.
A wage increase and extended contract have already been prepared by the club’s hierarchy to keep hold of their prized asset.
However, the club are also aware that now could be the best time to sell in terms of maximum profit with record transfer fees involved to try and persuade Monaco to let the teenager depart this summer. If he formally makes clear his desire to leave, it makes the situation much harder, so it’s understandable that they’re eager to clarify his stance on matters.
The club’s sporting director, Antonio Cordon, has already revealed the fact that Mbappé has a release clause.
“Yes, he has one – but it’s a lot, a lot of money. I didn’t do Mbappe’s contract and I can’t tell you the details of the clause, but it’s a lot of money,” he was quoted as saying.
It’s likely, therefore, that any new deal will have an even bigger release clause given Mbappe’s meteoric rise. Of course, they could also forgo a clause altogether meaning that no matter how big the bid they are not forced to sell.
Some of the largest release clauses in football include Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale, with a figure in the region of £900m for the Welshman’s services.
Bale’s team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo’s release clause is valued at around £657m, while James Rodriguez’s figure is believed to be £426m. Neymar has a £210m release fee and Lionel Messi’s current deal has a buyout clause of £179m inserted.
Considering bids of £100m have already been rejected, it’s likely that Mbappé’s current buyout clause is in the region of £150m and could be increased further to deter the aforementioned suitors from making formal approaches in the near future.