Real Madrid fans have been expecting Paris Saint-Germain to make that call to Florentino Perez following the confirmation that Lionel Messi will be heading to the French capital. The subject of the call is expected to be the sale of Kylian Mbappe, but the Ligue 1 outfit has now thrown cold water all over those hopes.
Messi was immediately linked with PSG when Barcelona confirmed his departure on Thursday last week. Real Madrid gained renewed hope that the French giants may finally soften their stance on keeping Mbappe, but such was not the case.
Before Messi was officially presented at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, a teaser video was shared on PSG's social media platforms. In it, a clear message was sent to Real Madrid: "Even if we have to lose him on a free transfer next summer, we are not letting go of Mbappe just yet."
In the video, Neymar's number 10 shirt and Mbappe's number 7 jersey can be seen hanging on either side of a locker that holds the flag of Argentina. Presumably, the locker is meant for Messi, who we now know will be wearing the shirt number 30.
PSG have made it clear that apart from reuniting former Barcelona teammates Neymar and Messi, their attacking trident for next season will be completed by the Frenchman. Even though Mbappe has been holding back on signing a contract extension with PSG, the club does not plan to allow him to leave until his current contract runs out at the end of the coming season.
Simply put, Messi's arrival does not dislodge Mbappe. In fact, PSG are determined to make use of all three attacking superstars.
In this case, Real Madrid will have to wait until January, when Mbappe becomes free to negotiate with other clubs. By this time, he can either agree on a deal to move to the Spanish capital, or depending on how the first part of the season goes, he may finally take PSG up on that offer to extend.
Becoming a Real Madrid player has always been Mbappe's goal, but he will surely be tempted to stay and play alongside both Messi and former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is confident that no other club can offer a better package for the player. They have had a wildly ambitious summer, and it remains to be seen if their superstar signing will be able to bring home enough silverware to justify their collective costs.