Mbappe's Power - VnExpress Sports

Returning to first-team training after a short ban is the latest evidence of Kylian Mbappe's power over PSG, the transfer market and Ligue 1.

"Mbappe not only makes two of the most powerful clubs in the world dance to his rhythm, but also has an incredible level of control over the entire transfer market," commented Goal after Mbappe returned to training with PSG's first team on August 13.

Unlike the rest of PSG and their fans, Mbappe appeared relaxed as he watched the opening Ligue 1 match against Lorient on August 12. Sitting amid a crowd at the Parc des Princes disappointed by PSG's struggles to find a way to score against a team that finished 10th last season, the French striker kept smiling and joking with his new compatriot Ousmane Dembele. The development and result of the 0-0 draw further demonstrated his importance to PSG.

Mbappe (white shirt, left) jokes with Dembele sitting next to him while watching PSG draw 0-0 with Lorient on August 13. Photo: AFP

In the press conference before this match, new coach Luis Enrique expressed his hope that Mbappe and the board of directors will find a positive solution to help PSG prepare best for the new season. But the Spanish coach did not forget to emphasize: "The club's philosophy is very clear, that the club is above all and I support that."

That philosophy has been repeatedly mentioned by PSG's leadership, but simply cannot be applied to Mbappe's case. The developments in the summer transfer window of 2023 have proven that the 24-year-old superstar has a greater position than PSG. In fact, at this time, the French striker is probably the most powerful player in the world.

Held to a 0-0 draw by Lorient in their first competitive match of the new season, PSG were given a mild warning of a daunting future without Mbappe. And the morning after the match, the Parc des Princes side announced that the 2018 World Cup winner would be welcomed back into the first team.

This is a surprising move, contrary to the previous strong stance of the Parc des Princes owner. Since Mbappe's letter to the board announcing the decision not to activate the option to extend his contract by one year - until the summer of 2025 - was leaked, president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has insisted that the 24-year-old striker must find a new home before the transfer window closes. PSG have no intention of losing the world's most valuable player on a free transfer in the summer of 2024.

The relationship between the two sides became strained, seemingly beyond repair. PSG removed Mbappe's posters in and around the Parc des Princes, stopped selling his jerseys in the club store. PSG also sent a letter to Mbappe, outlining the consequences if he left on a free transfer in the summer of 2024, such as the club having to sell key players, reconsidering its policy of promoting young players to the first team and most likely having to start a wave of layoffs to balance the finances...

PSG also accepted a record $330 million and allowed Al Hilal to negotiate with Mbappe. But the French striker ignored the $775 million salary from the Saudi Arabian club. Mbappe knows he holds all the cards and all the advantages in the transfer market - with only one year left on his contract and also earning one of the highest salaries in Europe. He is a young talent of a generation that is deeply aware of his own value, especially at PSG.

Mbappe at PSG training ground on July 15. Photo: psg.fr

Al-Khelaifi gave Mbappe the power and made him "the cornerstone of the club's project" when he signed a new contract in the summer of 2022 for a reason. PSG are completely dependent on Mbappe, but not from a sporting perspective. They can still replace the Frenchman's goals, as former PSG sporting director Leonardo pointed out, with five Champions League winners - Real Madrid (2018, 2022), Liverpool (2019), Bayern (2020), Chelsea (2021) and Man City (2023) - in Mbappe's six seasons with the French club. "That means PSG can still win the Champions League without Mbappe," Leonardo stressed.

But Qatari bosses do not think PSG - already a near-monopoly in France - can make a global splash without a star of Mbappe's calibre - who has a young and large fan base across all platforms - in the near future.

With Lionel Messi and Neymar both leaving this summer, Mbappe is the only remaining icon and the most important symbol for PSG’s brand. In terms of skills, selling Mbappe would give the French team a lot more money to build a stronger, more cohesive, more balanced, more efficient team in order to realize the dream of winning the continental championship. But without Mbappe, PSG would no longer be an attractive proposition in terms of marketing and commercial opportunities, or even in terms of attracting followers on social media.

"Mbappe and his team understand this, and that's why they can just sit back and wait for PSG to make a move," commented Goal .

Not only PSG, Mbappe also affects Real's transfer work . He was close to joining the Bernabeu as a free agent last summer, but "turned the tables" to renew with PSG near the end of the 2021-2022 season. President Florentino Perez did not hide his anger, but clearly still wanted to sign Mbappe, and was willing to wait a little longer to do so.

But again, it will be up to Mbappe to decide whether and when he moves to Madrid. After resolving the dispute by returning to training with the first team, Mbappe could renew his contract with PSG, but only on terms that are favourable to the Frenchman. According to Le Parisien , if he signs for PSG, the 24-year-old striker will set a release clause in the summer of 2024 at a level he knows Real are willing to meet.

The current situation shows that Mbappe is in control of not only his career, but also the transfer market - something that has never been seen before. Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Saudi Arabia to play for Al Nassr because he did not receive any worthy offers in Europe. Lionel Messi was forced to leave Barca and cannot return to the Camp Nou this summer due to financial problems. Mbappe, on the other hand, is free to decide what is best for himself.

Mbappe (far right) happily joins PSG first team members on the training ground on August 14. Photo: psg.fr

If Mbappe stays at PSG, Real will have to sign another striker this summer, or wait another year for him, accepting the 2023-24 season without a top-class striker, after parting ways with captain Karim Benzema. And if Mbappe leaves PSG, the French club will have to find a worthy replacement. Regardless of the scenario, Mbappe will still be a potential catalyst for a domino chain of transfers in the striker position at major clubs.

But for Mbappe, as he has shown more than once, the priority now is to wait and see what else PSG are willing to offer, both in terms of money and ambition, if they invite him to sign a new contract. This summer, the Parisian club replaced Neymar - who is said to have had a conflict with the French striker - with Ousmane Dembele - Mbappe's compatriot and close friend. Between now and the summer transfer window closing on September 1, PSG may have to strengthen their squad to please Mbappe.

According to Spanish newspaper AS , PSG's concession to Mbappe also comes from close interests and efforts to intervene from the Ligue 1 organizing committee . From September, the number one French football tournament will negotiate a new television copyright contract. According to the head of the organizing committee Vincent Labrune, Ligue 1 aims to earn about 1.1 billion USD in the next four years. This figure in the contract about to expire is less than 700 million.

After Messi, Sergio Ramos and Neymar left in the same summer, Mbappe is the only remaining savior for the entire league in terms of television appeal. If the French superstar leaves, Ligue 1 will have a hard time convincing its partners to pay the desired $1.1 billion. And then the financial benefits PSG gets from the league's copyright package will also be significantly reduced.

PSG's concession to allow Mbappe to return to first-team training has been met with a very positive response from investors. Last weekend, Canal+ - which holds the rights to two matches per round of Ligue 1 - announced a partnership with online TV platform DAZN. Under the deal, DAZN is ready to invest a huge amount of money in French football to compete with another bidding partner - giant Amazon Prime.

Without big names like Messi, Neymar, Ramos, Mbappe becomes the only name that can help Ligue 1 attract partners to buy television rights. Photo: psg.fr

Ligue 1 has now dropped to sixth place in the rankings of Europe's top leagues, behind the top four - the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and the Dutch Championship. According to AS , the potential $1.1 billion from the new TV rights deal will play a pivotal role in helping French clubs strengthen their squads, aiming to break into the top four leagues in the continent, thereby winning more Champions League spots than the current three. And to do that, Ligue 1 and PSG must keep Mbappe.

Hong Duy

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