Kylian Mbappe transfer update: PSG accused of 'moral harassment'

The relationship between Paris Saint-Germain FC and their striker Kylian Mbappe continues to deteriorate as the transfer saga surrounding the player continues to drag on this summer. Now, the club is being accused of "moral harassment" after obvious moves to force the player into signing a contract extension.

Mbappe has become persona non grata at PSG

Earlier this summer, Mbappe confirmed that he will not take up the option to extend his current contract by another year until 2025.

However, he is more than willing to stay and fulfil the remainder of his contract until the summer of 2024. That means that he will leave on a free transfer once his contract expires. This does not sit well with the Ligue 1 champions since they will effectively lose their top star for free.

After Mbappe stood his ground, PSG decided to put him up for sale this summer, and left him out of the squad that travelled for the club's pre-season tour of South Korea and Japan. Now, the BBC reports that Mbappe will not be allowed to join the first team players as they begin training for the opening game of the 2023/24 Ligue 1 season.

On Monday, the PSG players have a scheduled training session and Mbappe will only be allowed to train with the reserve squad. The player is completely healthy and there seems to be no justifiable reason for him to be left out of the main squad. It is unclear if he will be made available for the club's opening game against Lorient on Saturday, where PSG will launch their Ligue 1 title defence.

PSG accused of harassment

Due to the club's decision to leave Mbappe out of normal first team activities, PSG are now facing accusations of "moral harassment" towards the player. The National Union of Professional Footballers in France have taken notice and are criticising the club over the arm-twisting methods that they have been implementing.

According to a statement, the union said: "These players must enjoy the same working conditions as the rest of the professional workforce. The UNFP feels it would be useful to remind managers that putting pressure on an employee - via the deterioration of their working conditions, for example - to force them to leave or accept what the employer wants constitutes moral harassment, which French law firmly condemns.

"The UNFP reserves the right to take civil and criminal action against any club that behaves in this way."

PSG may face legal consequences if found guilty of putting pressure on Mbappe to accept their conditions despite already having a contract that the player fully intends to uphold.

What does PSG want from Mbappe

The Frenchman has another year left in his contract but PSG are not willing to let him leave for free in twelve months when his contract ends. This is why they want him to agree to an extension until 2025 even if he may want to leave next summer. The reason behind this is simple, if he is under contract until 2025, then the club can earn a transfer fee from his exit if he decides to join another club at the end of the upcoming season.

PSG therefore decided to either sell him this summer for a considerable amount or force him to extend. The club is determined to earn something from Mbappe's exit after they paid £165.7 million when they bought him from Monaco back in 2017.

Having become the club's all-time top scorer with 212 goals to his name and winning the past five Golden Boot awards in Ligue 1, one could say that the investment has already paid off. However, PSG do not see it that way.

Club chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi has made it clear that they are not willing on letting Mbappe leave on a free transfer and has even threatened to file a formal complaint against Real Madrid over the issue.

PSG are convinced that Mbappe is confident in his plan to leave next summer because he already has an agreement to join the Spanish giants which involves a massive signing on bonus. Instead of paying PSG a transfer fee this summer, Real Madrid could have convinced Mbappe to accept a bonus if he makes sure that he can leave on a free transfer. This, of course, is something that PSG has yet to prove.

Mbappe rejects new PSG proposal

It seems clear that Mbappe is determined to leave PSG, so the club needs to come up with a new proposal that does not leave them out in the cold. He has already rejected a world record offer sent by Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal for one year, so PSG need to find another solution.

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, PSG have put forward a "guaranteed sale" clause on his contract extension. This means that Mbappe will sign a contract extension, but the club will sell him next summer for a fee so that he can still join Real Madrid. That plan was reportedly rejected by the player.

Real Madrid have stayed quiet and calm for the time being, and it remains to be seen if they will swoop in during the final days of the transfer window. Florentino Perez is known for his gutsy moves to sign superstars, but he is also a businessman who will not be forced into spending a fortune for a player who will be available for free in just a year.