PIF-owned Al-Hilal make stunning Kylian Mbappe offer as Newcastle United man closes in on Saudi transfer

Kylian Mbappe looks set to leave PSG this summer after being left in Paris whilst the squad jet-off for a pre-season tour in Japan and South Korea. Mbappe, who scored 41 goals in all competitions for PSG last season and hit a hat-trick for France in the World Cup final in Qatar, has been given permission by his club to speak to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal after they made a stunning transfer offer for his services.

Al-Hilal were taken over by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and have already added Ruben Neves, Sergei Milinkovic-Savic and Kalidou Koulibaly to their ranks this summer. However, their reported offer for the Frenchman would eclipse the world record transfer fee and reportedly make Mbappe the highest paid sports player in the world.

Al-Hilal have had an offer of £259m (€300m) accepted by the Ligue 1 champions and have reportedly offered Mbappe a year long contract worth €700m. Mbappe is out of contract in Paris at the end of this season and Real Madrid have been heavily-linked with signing the 24-year-old when his deal at the Parc Des Princes expires.

The reported offer from Al-Hilal would be €1 billion in all and send shockwaves across the football world if Mbappe switches France for Saudi Arabia. Unsurprisingly, Mbappe also has interest from Premier League clubs and in Spain, however no clubs would be able to match the financial package available at Al-Hilal.

Mbappe has, rather tongue-in-cheek, been linked with a move to St James’ Park ever since PIF acquired an 80% stake in the club back in October 2021.

Allan Saint-Maximin’s move to Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, is progressing with the Frenchman set to join Al-Ahli - another club under the control of PIF. Saint-Maximin didn’t join Newcastle in their pre-season tour of the USA.

However, the move has come under scrutiny from Premier League clubs with The Athletic reporting that a number of clubs have ‘voiced concerns’ over the deal and the links between Al-Ahli and Newcastle United through their ownership models. The club are ‘very confident’ that the proposed £30m move falls in line with the Premier League’s ‘fair market value’ assessment.