Football
Jonathan Johnson, PSG correspondent 7y

PSG to sign Monaco's Kylian Mbappe on initial loan deal - sources

PARIS -- Paris Saint-Germain will sign Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe on an initial loan with a €180 million permanent move set for next summer to comply with financial fair play (FFP) regulations, sources close to both clubs have told ESPN FC.

Last week, sources said PSG were close to completing a deal for a fee of around €150m plus either Lucas Moura or Goncalo Guedes, but Lucas did not want to leave PSG and Guedes preferred the option of joining Valencia to Monaco.

PSG sporting director Antero Henrique then tried to persuade Javier Pastore to form part of the deal, but when that attempt failed PSG were left with little option but to agree to pay €180m plus add-ons in a move involving no other player.

The Paris source said that, after further discussions over the weekend, a loan move would be made to land Mbappe with an option to buy that would effectively be obligatory.

Monaco have accepted that Mbappe no longer wants to play for them and that selling for €180m either this summer or next would be their best bet, a source close to the principality club said.

Mbappe, 18, is expected to sign the five-year contract he has agreed with PSG next summer after his loan spell is complete. His move would give PSG the two highest-priced transfers ever within weeks, after Neymar's €222m move from Barcelona earlier this summer.

A loan with an option to buy next summer means PSG will still have funds to purchase Mbappe's Monaco teammate Fabinho and a new goalkeeper, possibly Napoli's Pepe Reina, before the window closes.

Henrique is working to move on players including Guedes, Serge Aurier, Grzegorz Krychowiak and Hatem Ben Arfa, and if he succeeds in selling, PSG will be able to complete their business within the bounds of FFP.

PSG's dealings have drawn criticism that they are flaunting UEFA's FFP regulations, but PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi said after Neymar's signing that he is "not really worried at all" about possible sanctions.

France coach Didier Deschamps on Monday suggested Mbappe's move had "gone his way," and said the teenage prodigy had joined up with Les Bleus with a smile on his face.

After seeing Mbappe arrive at the national team's Clairefontaine base, Deschamps joked that Mbappe was "sad" and "sulking," before turning serious and adding: "Of course he's fine. I don't think he's had news that can sadden him.

"He knows he's here for the French national team. He's in good spirits. What has happened has gone his way, I think. He's had six extraordinary months at Monaco."

Both sources said a medical could have already taken place, or if not, that PSG medical staff could visit the player on France duty while he prepares to face Netherlands and Luxembourg in World Cup qualifiers.

Mbappe had been linked with a move to Real Madrid before reportedly telling Monaco he preferred to remain in France, and Deschamps told French media they should be thankful the young forward had chosen to remain in Ligue 1.

Deschamps said: "You're not going to complain that he's staying in France. Others left very early, like [Paul] Pogba, [Kingsley] Coman or [Anthony] Martial. [Ousmane] Dembele didn't make a mistake in going to Dortmund after a season at Rennes. Today, he's at Barcelona.

"Kylian made an analysis that led him to think that he's not ready to go abroad. But it's good that he stays in France."

Deschamps also said he was unsurprised the likes of Mbappe and Dembele are commanding large transfer fees -- the highest-ever after Neymar.

"Because there is quality, but I didn't doubt that. They're with us in the national team at the moment. They're players with great potential who are already doing very very good things, very early, like Martial or Coman before them," the France coach said.

"For youngsters, these transfers aren't necessarily easy to handle, but it's great for them. This generation has a lot of quality. They have stepped into the big boys' playground very early."

ESPN FC's France correspondent Ian Holyman contributed to this report.

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