Kylian Mbappe to Saudi Arabia? Inside Al-Hilal's billion-dollar offer

Since winning the World Cup, Mbappe's future has been tied to his local club Paris Saint-Germain. He's spent the majority of his career with the French club despite serious interest from top-tier teams around the globe. Last summer, after expressing his desire to move to Real Madrid, Mbappe was granted unprecedented control of PSG soccer operations in order to convince him to stay.

All of those exceptions simply haven't worked out. Mbappe grumbled through PSG's 2022-23 season, frequently expressing displeasure with his teammates and club owners. This summer, he's been pretty up-front about his desire to leave PSG for good, and finally, PSG seem ready to let him go.

Mbappe's contract expires in 2024, so if PSG hope to pocket any transfer fees for him, they must let him go before that expiration date. While his preferred destination remains Real Madrid, a new suitor has popped up with a bizarre offer that may change the face of global soccer.

Al-Hilal, one of the state-owned clubs in Saudi Arabia, confirmed Monday morning that they intend to offer PSG and Mbappe a record $332M transfer deal. The kicker? This deal will only last for one season.

By contrast, Enzo Fernandez's already-absurd $131M transfer from Benfica to Chelsea last winter covered an eight-year playing commitment. 

Al-Hilal are offering Mbappe $200M more for seven fewer years of play, and that's just the transfer fee, the money Al-Hilal will pay PSG to break Mbappe's contract. Mbappe himself is rumored to be receiving a one-year salary of $776M, too. All told, Al-Hilal are looking to drop over $1B on Mbappe's short-lived Saudi transfer.

While it sounds ludicrous, Al-Hilal's reasoning is simple. They know Mbappe wants to go to Madrid and knows PSG is unlikely to feel comfortable sending him there at any price, simply because Madrid and PSG are European rivals.

By jumping in with a massive offer for a one-year contract, Al-Hilal hope to please everybody: Mbappe gets a big salary with a guaranteed return to European soccer while he's still in his prime, PSG gets a massive transfer fee without selling to a competitor, Real Madrid gets their man on a timeline that's less pressurized and Al-Hilal gets the best young player in the world.

At time of writing PSG, have accepted Al-Hilal's massive bid, but personal terms have yet to be worked out between Mbappe and Al-Hilal. If the player and the club can come to an agreement, the transfer will obliterate previous records and become the largest transfer deal in the history of the sport.