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Paris Saint-Germain have made it their main priority to extend the contract of forward Kylian Mbappe despite the coronavirus pandemic, sources have told ESPN.
Mbappe’s deal at Parc des Princes expires in 2022 and Real Madrid remain interested in signing him.
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Sport has been halted by the global pandemic indefinitely with French football clubs’ finances hit particularly badly, as PSG Chairman and CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi explained earlier this week.
With France yet to set a resumption date for Ligue 1, Ligue 2 and semi-professional Championnat National, Les Parisiens’ transfer plans are on pause — including contracts that are not imminently expiring.
However, ESPN sources confirmed that tying Mbappe to a lucrative new deal is still high up on PSG sporting director Leonardo’s to-do list once football gets back underway.
Both parties are in regular contact but the focus of discussion in the capital concerns Mbappe and his teammates committing to the recommended pay cuts that professional clubs are negotiating with their players.
Sources have told ESPN that PSG remain confident that the 22-year-old will extend his contract with terms that reflect his change in status since moving from AS Monaco in 2017.
Once football returns, ESPN sources say the idea is to pick up talks where they left off before the enforced break, with Mbappe in a hurry to commit as his original plan was to see how the 2019-20 season panned out.
Meanwhile, sources told ESPN that PSG are keeping an open mind regarding potential contract extensions now that this summer’s transfer market will be affected by coronavirus.
Striker Edinson Cavani is approaching the end of his deal and sources have told ESPN that Newcastle United‘s prospective new Saudi-backed owners want to sign him.