Mbappé ends his time at PSG after years of rumors, with Real Madrid lurking in the wait

After several summers full of rumors about his immediate future, with French President Emmanuel Macron even having to mediate his decision, Kylian Mbappé is leaving Paris Saint-Germain. The French soccer star confirmed his departure from the team at the end of the current season. He will do so as his contract is up at the end of June.

"Hello everyone, I'm Kylian, I want to talk to you. I have always said that I would come to you when the time came and I want to announce that this will be my last year at Paris Saint-Germain. I will not be renewing. And the adventure will be over in a few weeks. I will play my last game at the Parc des Princes on Sunday. It's a lot of emotions, many years in which I have had the opportunity and the immense honor to defend the biggest club in France and one of the biggest in the world. Who allowed me to get here, to have my first opportunity at a club with so much pressure, to grow as a footballer, of course, thanks to sharing a dressing room with some of the best in the world and in history. Some of the great champions I have met. I've grown as a man too, with all the glory and the mistakes I may have made," Mbappé said in a video posted on social media.

In his farewell, he did not forget anyone of those who accompanied him during his time with the Parisian team, including players, coaches, sporting directors and the president of the club, Nasser Al Khelaifi.

Top scorer in the history of PSG... and no Champions League titles

Mbappé undoubtedly leaves an indelible mark on PSG. He is the top scorer in the history of the club, ahead of Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani, though he has played in fewer games. This Sunday, it will be his last game at the Parc des Princes in front of the PSG faithful.

In the seven seasons he has worn the PSG jersey, Mbappé won 15 trophies, all of them domestic. He was never able to win the Champions League, despite the immense amounts of money spent by the board on players each season to lift the trophy. That will always be the only goal he has not achieved with the Parisian team.

No one can say for sure whether or not Mbappé will have had the chance to win the Champions League with PSG. It depends on whether, in the future, both parties agree that the player will return to the team and the team wants the player to return.

Real Madrid: This time, yes?

Mbappé did not confirm which team he will leave for, although he did assure that he will go to one far from French soil. "It's difficult. It's difficult and I never thought it would be this hard to announce that I'm leaving my country, France, Ligue 1, a championship I've always known. But I think I needed this, a new challenge after seven years," he said.

It seems that the new challenge he is referring to is in the Spanish capital. For years, there has been speculation that Mbappé would one day don the white Real Madrid jersey, a team that the French star has always been a fan of.

Two summers ago, when everything pointed to him landing in Madrid, Mbappé opted to continue at the French club and renewed his contract for two more seasons with an option for another at his own decision. In the end, he has not opted in to this additional year. His decision to stay was a blow to Real Madrid and its president, Florentino Perez. Even a large majority of Madrid fans took his choice disdainfully and spoke out against him having the opportunity to join the team again.

If he ultimately signs for Real Madrid, it remains to be seen how the Madrid fans who were critical of Mbappé will react. It is still unknown if they will applaud his arrival, if he will have to earn his recognition or if they come out against him outright.