Al Hilal to pay Kylian Mbappe $776 million if he agrees to play in Saudi league for just one season: Report

Will Kylian Mbappe join Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in the fast-growing Saudi Pro League next season?

The ball is in Mbappe's court now after Paris Saint-Germain received a world record bid of 300-million-euro ($333 million) for him from Saudi club Al-Hilal. Al Hilal have made a formal offer to PSG by letter, the source said, but such a transfer could only be made with the agreement of Mbappe.

"The club has given permission to Al Hilal to speak with Mbappe. That's the request of the letter and that's been granted," the PSG source said. Mbappe has one year left on his contract with PSG, who want him to leave now rather than for nothing next summer.

But Mbappe is refusing to sign a new contract at PSG and the French champions believe he has already struck a deal to move to Real Madrid next year for nothing.

The standoff between Mbappe and the French club reached a new peak at the weekend when they dropped him from their squad to tour Japan and South Korea.

There have been suggestions that Mbappe would not be selected for an entire year if he fails to find a solution with PSG.

Al Hilal, according to Front Office Sports, the multiplatform media brand that covers the influence of sports on business and culture, could help solve the problem by spending $1.1 billion on Mbappe for just one season.

If the 24-year-old French superstar agrees to move to Saudi, he will be paid $776 million by Al-Hilal, according to Front Office Sports.

The one-year deal would be perfect for both parties, giving the Saudi league its biggest boost and allowing Mbappe to complete his dream move to Real Madrid in 2024.

"Saudi club Al-Hilal has offered a world-record package for Kylian Mbappé: 1 year, $1.1 billion. • $332M transfer fee to PSG. • $776M salary for 1 season. The deal would allow him to depart for free next summer to Real Madrid," Front Office Sports tweeted on Monday.

High-profile Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano also stated that both parties are likely to agree on a one-year deal.

"The Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal have submitted a world-record bid for Kylian Mbappé, understood to be worth €300m (£259m), and are willing to have the forward for only one season if that is what is takes to get the deal done," Romano wrote on The Guardian.

"Al-Hilal will try to tempt Mbappé with a world-record salary and, mindful that it may suit him to come for only one season."

The bid represents Saudi Arabia's most ambitious move yet as part of a determined recruitment drive to lure the game's biggest players to the country.

Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Roberto Firmino are among the big names to head to Saudi Arabia's lucrative league after Ronaldo agreed to a deal with Al-Nassr in December.

Al-Hilal had previously attempted to sign Lionel Messi but the Argentine legend opted against it, instead choosing MLS team Inter Miami after leaving PSG.

A host of big-name players, though, have made the move, with more expected to follow before the start of next season. Premier League stars like Riyad Mahrez and Jordan Henderson have been linked with moves.

The Riyadh-based Al Hilal are one of the handful of clubs owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

They have already signed central defender Kalidou Koulibaly from Chelsea and Ruben Neves from Wolves this summer.

But getting Mbappe on board will be a different-ball game as unlike the ageing stars who have reached the twilight of their careers, Mbappe is at the peak of his prowess at 24.

Mbappe, PSG's all-time top scorer with 212 goals in 260 appearances, remains the second most expensive player in history behind his club teammate Neymar.

He was still a teenager when he joined PSG on a season-long loan from Monaco in August 2017.

The move turned into a permanent transfer the following year in a 180-million-euro deal.

That fee is exceeded only by Neymar, the Brazilian who cost PSG 222 million euros in 2017.

The third member of PSG's superstar trio, Messi, left at the end of last season to join MLS franchise Inter Miami.

The trio could not prevent PSG being knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich at the last 16 stage last season although they went on to clinch the French title.

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