Kylian Mbappe’s PSG exit leaves Ligue 1 in disarray as financial cost of World Cup-winning forward ditching French top-flight revealed

The World Cup-winning Frenchman has reportedly told the Paris outfit he wants to leave the club this summer. Real Madrid are frontrunners to recruit him when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season and while this will be a huge blow for PSG, the league could suffer as well. According to AS, Ligue 1 stands to lose more than €140m (£120m/$151m) in TV rights for the next five years.

The report adds the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) is in negotiations for rights for the French top-flight for 2024-29 and not being able to count on Mbappe weakens their hand in negotiations. Therefore, the price of TV rights could be reduced by up to 20 per cent of the initial amount the LFP negotiated early on in the process. This will have a huge knock-on effect for PSG and the league as a whole when it comes to attracting new players and revenue.

Mbappe, 25, is reportedly demanding €70m (£60m/$76m) per year and a transfer bonus of €125m (£107m/$136m) in order to sign for Real Madrid. Lose Blancos areready to make Mbappe their next ‘Galactico’, but personal terms are proving difficult to agree.

Negotiations between all interested parties will continue in the coming weeks and there may be some extra twists and turns along the way. But on the pitch, PSG travel to Nantes on Saturday in Ligue 1, followed by a home clash against Rennes on February 26.