Football news - Hat-trick hero Kylian Mbappe refuses to commit to PSG contract renewal - Paper Round

Fresh from scoring a hat-trick at the Camp Nou during Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-1 win over Barcelona on Tuesday night, Kylian Mbappe is refusing to commit to a new deal at the Parc des Princes, according to the Mirror. They report that PSG will not hear a definitive guide on the 22-year-old France international’s future until midway through next season, when he’ll have less than a year on his new deal.

Paper Round’s view: If Mbappe is leaning towards signing a new deal at PSG, then it might actually make sense to wait as long as possible to commit. That way club finances can improve post-coronavirus and he can secure a bigger raise. Similarly, if he makes Real Madrid or Liverpool wait for his signature, he can drive a hard bargain.

Everton are keen to return to Juventus to secure their France international midfielder, Adrien Rabiot. The 25-year-old former PSG player joined them on a free transfer but the Italians are open to selling him this summer, compared to last year when Juve rebuffed Carlo Ancelotti’s advances. A fee of £26 million could be enough to bring him to the Premier League.

Paper Round’s view: Rabiot is a decent option in midfield and at 25 he still has plenty of years to give, and with his style of play he doesn’t need to rely on his pace. Everton need reinforcements this summer if they are to make the step up to challenge regularly for the Champions League spots, and Rabiot would give them that quality.

Duje Caleta-Car, Marseille’s Croatian central defender, explained that he decided to turn down a move to Liverpool in the winter transfer window. Instead Liverpool turned their attention to Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak, the latter brought in on a loan deal. The Mail quote the 24-year-old as saying: “It was an honour for me to know that such a club wanted me. We decided with the club that I was going to stay. Marseille is also a great club and I still have a lot of improving to do here.”

Paper Round’s view: Kabak failed to impress in his opening game for Liverpool against Leicester City, but there is a talented player there. The knowledge that Liverpool have other options should focus his mind on impressing over the coming months, but Liverpool owe him no loyalty if superior players are willing to move in the summer.

Were Jose Mourinho to leave Tottenham Hotspur against his will, he would be due an inordinate sum of money according to his contract, reports Spanish newspaper Marca. He has a contract that runs until 2023 earning him £17m a year, with no get-out clause should Spurs wish to sack him for the team’s current underperformance.

Paper Round’s view: It might be true that Spurs do not have an option to cut short Mourinho’s time at the club at a reduced cost, but that does not mean that a deal couldn’t be reached. Instead of paying up a manager’s old contract, clubs can make offers that allow a sizeable payment that allows them to then take new work elsewhere.