Report: Mbappe tells PSG he intends to leave next summer

French superstar Kylian Mbappe informed Paris Saint-Germain in a letter on Monday that he intends to decline the one-year player option in his contract and leave the club as a free agent when it expires in June 2024, a source told The New York Times' Tariq Panja.

The surprising development raises the possibility of the club selling him as soon as this summer.

PSG are adamant they won't lose the 24-year-old for nothing next year, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reports, leaving them with no choice but to sell him in the coming months if they can't reach a swift agreement over a new and improved contract.

The one-year option would have extended his stay until June 2025.

PSG had spent the past few months negotiating a new contract for Mbappe, according to Panja. Their bargaining position is considerably weaker, given clubs know they can sign the World Cup winner next summer without paying a transfer fee.

The letter - which French media reportedly obtained before the club itself - contained written notice of Mbappe's decision. He had until July 31 to take up the option.

PSG almost lost their star striker on a free transfer to Real Madrid last summer following the expiration of his previous deal. With the help of French President Emmanuel Macron, who urged Mbappe in a private call to stay, PSG managed to tie him down for another two years. The club reportedly agreed to pay Mbappe around $25 million annually on top of the $125-million signing bonus he received upfront.

Now, PSG will have to sweeten the pot even more if they hope to keep him long term.

Monday's report could encourage Madrid to make another bid for Mbappe in the upcoming transfer window, which opens in France on July 1 and in Spain on July 3. Madrid are looking for a striker to replace 2022 Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema, who recently left the club for Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad.

PSG paid AS Monaco a reported $216 million to sign Mbappe in a permanent deal in 2018. He's since become Les Parisiens' all-time leading scorer with 212 goals in 260 appearances.