Football transfer roundup: Kylian Mbappe linked with Real Madrid again; Alex Telles joins Al Nassr

France football star Kylian Mbappe’s future at Paris Saint Germain remains uncertain amid an ongoing contract dispute. On Sunday, PSG left for their pre-season tour to Japan without their prolific striker, raising further questions on his future with the Ligue 1 champions. Mbappé has already told the club he won’t trigger a 12-month extension on his contract, but said he would start this coming season with the French champion. PSG left the France forward out of its 29-man squad for the Japan tour, which features matches against Saudi team Al Nassr, Japanese team Cerezo Osaka and Champions League runner-up Inter Milan. Mbappé stepped out of a van to greet a handful of waiting PSG fans after a brief training session on Saturday at the club’s training complex in the Paris suburb of Poissy. He looked in good spirits, smiling as he posed for photos and signed autographs with security officials standing nearby, but made no comment about his ongoing situation. The club does not want to let Mbappé leave for free at the end of next season and says the 2022 World Cup top scorer will either sign a new contract or be sold. The 24-year-old Mbappé wrote to tell PSG of his plans last month. News of the letter immediately sparked a transfer frenzy that saw Mbappé linked again with Real Madrid, which offered 180 million euros ($190 million) for the striker in 2021. Madrid missed out last year when Mbappé signed a new deal with PSG until 2024 with an option for 2025 that needs to be signed by July 31. Having seen teammate Lionel Messi leave for Inter Miami after not taking up an option for an extra year, PSG does not want Mbappé leaving as a free agent to Madrid, or anywhere else. Mbappé wants to see out next season with PSG and then play for France at the Paris Olympics — a request that would need to be approved by the French Football Federation and his club side. But PSG, which for too long has been perceived as pampering star players such as Neymar, Mbappé and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is finally standing up to a big-name player. When club president Nasser al-Khelaifi recently unveiled Luis Enrique as the new coach, he issued a reminder that there was no chance of Mbappé — PSG’s all-time leading scorer with 212 goals — going for nothing. Running down his contract to leave PSG in one year’s time would mean losing out on a transfer fee which could even exceed the world record 222 million euros (then $262 million) it paid Barcelona for Neymar six years ago. As a free agent, Mbappé could command a colossal signing-on fee if Madrid did not have to pay PSG for the transfer. PSG would prefer Mbappé renews for one year which would protect its investment and oblige another club to buy him if he did insist on leaving in 2024, potentially after playing for France at the Paris Games. Aston Villa sign French winger Diaby Aston Villa on Saturday completed the signing of France winger Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth a reported 60 million euros. Diaby, 24, becomes Villa’s third major signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres. Diaby has 10 France caps but was not part of the squad that reached the World Cup final in Qatar in 2022. Having come up through the ranks at hometown club Paris St Germain, Diaby moved to Leverkusen in 2019. He scored 49 goals in 172 appearances for the Bundesliga side before completing his switch to Villa Park. Alex Telles joins Ronaldo at Al Nassr Manchester United left-back Alex Telles has joined Al Nassr on a permanent transfer. The Brazil international will reunited with former United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia.

A new adventure beckons for @AT13Oficial 🇧🇷🔴

Thank you for everything and good luck, Alex 👊#MUFC

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 23, 2023

Since joining United from Porto in 2020, Telles has played 50 games for the Red Devils, having scored one goal. He spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Sevilla, where he won the Europa League title. Everton complete Danjuma signing Everton have completed the signing of Dutch winger Arnaut Danjuma on loan from Villareal, journalist Fabrizio Romano tweeted on Sunday.

Everton finally have Danjuma after crazy six months. Medical done yesterday, documents completed 🔵

Straight loan from Villarreal valid until June 2024. pic.twitter.com/uXgE8wfAGA

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 23, 2023

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The loan deal runs till June 2024. Danjuma’s medical at Everton was complete on Saturday, and the document formalities have also been done. Danjuma joined Villareal from AFC Bournemouth in 2021, and played 51 times for the Spanish side, scoring 22 times. He then switched to Tottenham on loan in January this year, so the upcoming season will be a second consecutive loan spell in the Premier League, albeit with a different club. With inputs from agencies