Strap in, folks! Another relentless barrage of updates regarding Kylian Mbappe's future await this summer.
The latest from France suggests a move away from Paris Saint-Germain is inevitable, but this isn't the first time we've seen such a situation develop in the French capital regarding their coveted superstar.
Real Madrid, long-time admirers of the Frenchman, are bound to emerge as a potential destination for Mbappe if he was to leave the Parc des Prices, and here's a reminder of the Spanish club's history with the French forward.
July 2017 - Real Madrid's first interest
Mbappe burst onto the scene for an excellent Monaco side that contained the likes of Bernardo Silva, Thomas Lemar, Fabinho, Joao Moutinho, and Radamel Falcao during the 2016/17 season. The young Frenchman, then just 17, scored 15 Ligue 1 goals and six in the Champions League as Monaco lifted the league title and reached the semi-finals of Europe's premier club competition.
Mbappe's staggering form piqued the interest of Real Madrid, with reports emerging that the Spaniards had agreed a deal with Monaco for the forward worth upwards of €160m.
The French club, however, denied striking a deal with Real.
August 2017 - Mbappe signs for PSG
While Real's interest in Mbappe was certainly concrete, PSG saw an opportunity to snatch the Parisian-born youngster away from their grasp.
Just three weeks after signing Neymar in a record-breaking deal, PSG made their move for Mbappe and offered Monaco €180m for the Frenchman's services. The French club were also willing to double Real's reported salary offer of €7m.
PSG wrapped up the deal from under Real Madrid's nose at the end of the 2017 summer transfer window, with Mbappe joining on an initial loan. A buy-option, however, would keep him in his hometown until 2022.
April 2021 - Florentino Perez promises Mbappe's arrival
To the surprise of very few, Mbappe blossomed into a superstar at PSG and would eventually break Edinson Cavani's all-time scoring record.
For several years, there was a level of serenity regarding Mbappe's situation in Paris, but this started to change in 2021 and Real, still bitter from the events in 2017, smelt blood. They started to pursue Mbappe with a renewed sense of purpose, and club president Florentino Perez even assured Real Madrid supporters the Frenchman would join Los Blancos that summer.
"I go with the mask and they tell me 'Sign Mbappé!' Madrid needs a change from time to time. I do everything possible so that Madrid does not lose its rightful place. Tranquilo!," Perez said, with 'tranquilo' translating to 'don't worry' or 'calm'.
He was a man with a plan.
June 2021 - Nasser Al-Khelaifi claims Mbappe is not for sale
Reports had surfaced towards the end of the 2020/21 season that Mbappe was set to force his way out of PSG, and Real's renewed interest sparked danger for PSG with the player's contract expiring the following summer.
However, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi refused to back down and at the start of the 2021 summer transfer window, he asserted that Mbappe wasn't going anywhere.
"I will be clear," Al-Khelaifi then told L'Equipe. "Mbappe is going to stay in Paris. We will never sell him and he will never leave on a free [transfer]."
August 2021 - Real Madrid table €160m offer
A summer saga developed and Real opted to make their move until the very last moment. PSG were pulling out all the stops to convince Mbappe to stay in Paris, with French President Emmanuel Macron even chiming in with his two cents.
However, an offer eventually arrived from the Spanish club in the final week of the transfer window reportedly worth €160m. And while PSG were unsuccessful in their attempts to bring Mbappe to the negotiating table themselves, they rebuffed Real's offer before ignoring the reported two follow-up offers made by Los Blancos as deadline day neared.
At the end of the 2021 summer window, Mbappe remained a PSG player but he was into the final year of his deal. Something had to give.
21 May 2022 - Mbappe extends PSG contract
Mbappe's situation in Paris was a precarious one throughout 2021/22, with PSG seemingly playing with fire. There was a serious chance they'd lose the Frenchman for nothing the following summer.
However, a resolution was found at the end of the season with PSG confirming that Mbappe had penned a new three-year extension with the club. The terms of the deal, though, were quite different to what was made out.
Mbappe had actually signed a two-year deal which included an option to extend by a further year. Nevertheless, the Frenchman's new deal prevented another saga from developing throughout the summer.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, had just won La Liga and the Champions League with Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema spearheading their impressive double. Mbappe wasn't seen as an immediate priority.
December 2022 - Real's interest reportedly cools
Mbappe's surprise extension left a bitter taste in the mouths of those at Real Madrid, and reports in Spain at the end of 2022, after Mbappe had almost guided France to back-to-back World Cup triumphs, suggested Real's interest in the superstar had cooled.
Vinicius Jr's remarkable development into one of the world's best had lessened the need for Mbappe's arrival, with Perez's ego undoubtedly damaged by his failed pursuits of the PSG man. The Real president certainly wasn't used to not getting what he wanted in the transfer market.
April 2023 - PSG's ill-fated marketing video
Mbappe's relationship with PSG seemed to be at an all-time high following his contract extension which made him a remarkably wealthy man and gave him an unprecedented amount of power at the club.
However, as Les Parisiens were enduring another indifferent season which was bound to end in the Ligue 1 title and nothing more, these sweet relations began to sour. Mbappe initially wasn't particularly happy with the club's summer recruitment as they failed to land Robert Lewandowski and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Then, in April, Mbappe wasn't best pleased when the club used his image in a promotional video sent to PSG's season ticket holders in a bid to convince them to renew for the 2023/24 campaign. "I don’t agree with this video posted," Mbappe protested on Instagram.
June 2023 - Mbappe tells PSG he will not trigger one-year extension clause in contract
And here we are.
The latest development in the Mbappe-Real Madrid saga may well spark another summer of unrelenting rumours. Reports have come out of France suggesting Mbappe has no intention of triggering the clause inserted into his PSG contract that'd keep him at the club for an extra year.
His current deal at PSG, the one he signed just last year, expires next summer which means Les Parisiens are once again running the risk of losing their most prized asset for nothing. Mbappe has insisted that he intends to stay at the club for the 2023/24 season, with his future beyond that being a doubt.
As for Real, Perez recently admitted that Mbappe remains a target, but striking a deal this summer will be tricky after they just spent upwards of €100m on England international Jude Bellingham.
This article was originally published on 90min as Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid: Timeline of transfer saga.
