Kylian Mbappe ‘must be kept’ in the French capital, says Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo… as she asks ‘what are PSG doing?’ after they accepted a £259m offer from Saudi side Al-Hilal

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has been left stunned by PSG‘s decision to accept a world-record transfer bid of £259million for Kylian Mbappe from Al-Hilal. 

The Saudi outfit are hoping to capitalise on the impasse between PSG and their star striker after Mbappe stated his intention to depart the French capital on a free transfer next summer.

However, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has remained adamant that the 24-year-old will not be allowed to leave for nothing. 

Al-Hilal’s eye-watering proposal came at the perfect time and has flummoxed most onlookers in and out of football. 

One such observer is Hidalgo, who voiced her displeasure at the prospect of the nation’s premier club losing the country’s prized footballing asset to the Gulf state. 

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo (left) has urged PSG to keep hold of Kylian Mbappe at all costs in light of Al-Hilal’s world-record £259m bid

Mbappe is the subject of the biggest offer in football history from the Saudi Arabian club

PSG president Al-Khelaifi is adamant the 24-year-old will not be allowed to leave for nothing 

Hidalgo, who took office in 2014, made an appearance on BFM TV on Tuesday morning and questioned PSG’s thinking.  

‘They have the best player in the world and they are willing not to play with him,’ she said. ‘I admit that I don’t understand anything. You have to keep it in Paris.’

Even before Al-Hilal’s unprecedented approach, the prospect of Mbappe staying in Paris beyond 2024 seemed remote. 

Determined not to acquiesce to his plan, PSG are seemingly willing to let their record goalscorer sit on the bench for the entirety of the upcoming campaign. 

The decision to leave him out of their squad for their trip to Japan, which began with a 0-0 draw against Al-Nassr, was the clearest indication yet of their reluctance to simply allow Mbappe to run down his deal without consequence. 

PSG continued their pre-season schedule with a 0-0 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr

As it turns out, Al-Hilal’s offer, which will reportedly pay Mbappe £173.2m per year and include a release clause that would allow him to get his dream move to Real Madrid next summer, offers all parties a beneficial solution. 

Though according to Relevo, Mbappe has no intention to play in Saudi Arabia despite the stunning offer on the table. 

The Madrid based outlet claims the forward is set on seeing out the final year of his contract with the reigning French champions and is ‘willing to sit on the bench all season’ as he runs down his deal.