After blowing up a secret transfer deal with Real Madrid, French soccer superstar Kylian McBarbie has been unexpectedly dropped from Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) squad for the Asian tour. The latest report from French media outlet RMC Sport claims that if McBarbie still refuses to renew his contract by July 31, PSG will accept an offer of 200 million euros (about HK$1.74 billion) from Saudi Arabian giants Hilal to move him on.
McBarbie, who currently has only one year left on his contract, has previously made it clear that he will not renew his contract and has refused to move. He is convinced that when his contract expires next summer, he will receive a loyalty bonus of 90 million euros (about HK$780 million), even if he is unable to play for the whole of next season.
PSG are naturally reluctant to let McBarbie leave the club for free, creating a lose-lose situation. They have already started looking for a buyer and are demanding a transfer fee of at least €150 million. However, few clubs in European football are willing to pay such a high price for a player with only one year left on his contract. The exception is Saudi club Hilal, who are willing to pay a transfer fee of 200 million euros and give McBarbie a three-year contract worth 400 million euros (about HK$3.48 billion) a year.
