'I'll pick him up at the airport' - Kylian Mbappe offered PSG escape by ...

WHAT HAPPENED? The French forward continues to be treated as an outsider by PSG and has been forced to train away from the first team after being omitted from the club's pre-season tour squad. He will also reportedly miss PSG's Ligue 1 opener against Lorient due to the ongoing contract dispute with the club as he continues to be linked with a summer move to Real Madrid.

WHAT THEY SAID: Former Los Blancos star and sporting director, Valdano, has further fuelled those rumours by jokingly stating that he would love to pick up the French forward from the airport if his proposed move to Madrid is announced.

"If people are still angry with him, don't worry, I'll pick him up at the airport," he said after a talk at the headquarters of the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol).

THE BIGGER PICTURE: A section of Madrid fans have reportedly grown frustrated with the French superstar as the transfer saga continues to rumble on with twists and turns. Valdano admitted that at the moment it is difficult to call whether Mbappe will join Real Madrid this summer but he would love to see the French superstar at the Santiago Bernabeu.

"At the moment it is not a case. It is, for the moment, a non-case. I hope it becomes a case," he added.

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WHAT NEXT? There has been radio silence from Real Madrid regarding the Mbappe situation until now but the Spanish giants might reportedly submit an offer in the final week of the transfer window to get their man. Meanwhile, PSG remain convinced that Mbappe has an agreement in place with Real Madrid to join the club as a free agent when his contract at Parc des Princes expires next summer.