Tag: Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe has no mercy for unfortunate Lorient defender

Mbappé, please! This is just unnecessarily cruel!

Woe be to any defender wandering out towards the corner flag to close down Kylian Mbappé.

Lorient defender Nathaniel Adjei suffered the particularly grim fate of trying to close off the Paris Saint-Germain star in an era where brief video clips of athletes doing remarkable things tend to spread quickly. When you’re a center back, going viral is almost never good news.

Adjei was just doing his job on the hour mark as Lorient trailed PSG 2-0, racing after an early ball over the top that picked out Mbappé.

It had already been a tough day at the office, and now this? We’ve all been there, Nathaniel.

It’s just that if you play for Lorient, your matches are televised. That surprise Friday meeting where you didn’t have time to prepare and then immediately got called on to speak by someone three levels up the org chart doesn’t get posted to social media with a music sting from the “slow, gritty hip-hop beats” part of the sample library.

And so, Adjei’s punishment for just being one of the best soccer players on earth in statistical terms, but not being quite as good as Mbappé was this: the France star first appeared to be trying to box Adjei out, only to realize he had the space to spin and face the 21-year-old defender.

Sensing the danger, Adjei threw his left foot at the ball, hoping to spare his blushes and simply concede a corner. Sadly for him, Mbappé saw that coming, dragging the ball away and meting out a terrible punishment for the attempt.

A flash of rapid touches later, and Mbappé strolled confidently away from Adjei, who was nearly falling over simply trying to keep his feet, let alone his dignity.

Just imagine the wave of Lorient fans muttering “mon dieu!” or “zut alors!” or some other French utterance of shock and dismay as this played out. They don’t want to see one of their promising young defenders done dirty like this!

But beyond shielding their eyes in the hopes of keeping the image from being too prominent in their memories, there’s nothing the fans or anyone else can do. If you look closely at the very pro-Lorient stands, you can see people put their hands over their faces as Mbappé mercilessly dances past Adjei.

Not that it’s even all that important in the grand scheme of things when compared to a move like this, but Mbappé had an assist on the play to go with two goals in a 4-1 win.

[lawrence-related id=51432,12681,59876]

Kylian Mbappé reportedly picking Real Madrid as his next team stunned soccer fans

Kylian Mbappé is reportedly headed to Real Madrid.

One of the world’s biggest soccer stars has reportedly decided on his next team.

French phenom Kylian Mbappé will reportedly join Real Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in the sport, after his contract expires with current club Paris Saint-Germain this summer, per French news outlet Le Parisien.

ESPN’s Julien Laurens also reported the news of Mbappé picking Real Madrid as his next club.

Mbappé’s decision will send shockwaves through the professional soccer world, as the France national team’s captain is one of the sport’s truly elite talents.

The news of Mbappé decision also sparked plenty of reactions from soccer fans across the globe, as one of the sport’s shining stars goes to play for the La Liga powerhouse.

So, is Kylian Mbappe just not going to play soccer this year?

Sounds like Mbappe will be free this weekend

Kylian Mbappé may want to check in with some friends to see if they want to hang out, because it seems like his weekends this August are going to be wide open.

A report from ESPN says that Paris Saint-Germain will leave Mbappé out of Saturday’s Ligue 1 opener against Lorient, the latest development in the bizarre battle of wills between the France star and his current employer.

The path to this point has been strange to say the least, and arguably extends back to last year. In May 2022, Mbappé — seemingly on the brink of a move to Real Madrid — made a U-turn, signing a three-year extension with PSG that among other things enraged La Liga (you know, the home of soccer’s bastion of responsible spending, Barcelona).

PSG’s 2022-23 season, despite ending in a Ligue 1 title, was a mess. Lionel Messi chose the allure of shopping at Publix and playing games in Frisco, Texas over dealing with the reality TV vibe at PSG, and it seems that Mbappé developed an exit plan of his own.

Namely, the 24-year-old reportedly wants to turn back the clock and make that Real Madrid deal happen after all. He informed PSG that he would not exercise the option in his contract that would extend it to the advertised three years. Without his say-so, his deal would end in June 2024, allowing a global star to walk as a free agent.

PSG isn’t having it, and has given Mbappé an ultimatum: sign a new deal that keeps him in Paris for longer, or be sold to another club this summer.

It’s a risky position for the club, especially in a market where the number of potential buyers at the asking price PSG will surely set is vanishingly small. Why acquire Mbappe’s playing rights now at an astronomical cost, when you can wait a year and not enrich one of your big rivals for European glory?

In unsurprising news (at least during this strange summer of transfer news), the only formal offer to emerge is a $1.1 billion one-season loan offer from Saudi side Al Hilal.  It’s as odd as it sounds.

Mbappé apparently has no interest in spending a year in the Saudi Pro League, a position that hasn’t changed even as PSG has applied pressure. The star forward hasn’t played in a preseason game for the club since a July 21 win over Le Havre, was left off the roster for a tour of Japan, and has been “exiled” to train with the many other notable names PSG somehow has on their books but can’t get rid of.

At least they’re having fun, right?

That brings us to the latest chapter, and ESPN is reporting that Mbappé could be left out of all three of PSG’s league matches in August “as punishment” for making a choice that was built into his contract by PSG all of 15 months ago. That report says that at least some club officials are willing to hold firm no matter how long Mbappé refuses to renegotiate his contract.

However, PSG has some tough deadlines looming. While the club may or may not be able to roll through early Ligue 1 games without Mbappé, the reality is that Ligue 1 was decided by a single point last season, and that was with Mbappé and Messi. Wealthier challengers like Marseille, Lille, Monaco, and Lyon had their own stumbles, and any could pose a true threat to PSG given all the drama at the Parc des Princes.

More importantly for PSG, the squad registration deadline for this year’s Champions League is on September 2. Any plan to play hardball like this would require leaving Mbappé off their final list, but it’s beyond belief that a club so desperate to finally succeed in the biggest competition of them all would enter the group stage without its best player.

[lawrence-related id=23869,19834,14956]

LeBron James joking about Mbappe’s huge Saudi offer is what successful sportswashing looks like

This is the exact definition of sportswashing.

This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning. Here’s Charles Curtis.

This is no laughing matter.

Yet it is to some NBA players who should know better.

As the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund continues to throw around its deep stacks of money, sports is the target. LIV Golf, as you may remember, is funded by the PIF. There’s buzz about the NBA getting that kind of investment, with disappointing comments from commissioner Adam Silver. There was also a report that the sovereign wealth fund could buy into tennis.

This is where we remind you, as we have many times, that the country backing these funds has a horrifying human rights record that allegedly includes involvement in the death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Sportswashing is the word for what’s being done here, an attempt to sweep all of that under the rug by investing in sports and making the headlines more about the money being thrown around than the horrors that lie beneath the surface.

Now, Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal has reportedly bid on French soccer superstar Kylian Mbappe for over $330 million, and furthermore, his one-year salary could be $776 million.

That’s right. One year. For that much money.

And that’s what some NBA stars decided to focus on.

Giannis Antetokounmpo: “Al Hilal you can take me.”

LeBron James tweeted a Forrest Gump GIF of him heading to Saudi Arabia if he got that kind of one-year deal.

Draymond Green? He said: “They got basketball leagues too right? I don’t [think] the ink on my contract has dried up yet.”

Look at that. Some big names — who have been so vocal about social issues stateside — are out here joking about the money and not the history behind who’s throwing around over a billion dollars to bring a superstar to their country.

Sportswashing, complete. It’s no laughing matter.

Quick Hits: A weird MLB error after a broken glove … Barbie memes … and more.

— Ken’s Mojo Dojo Casa House from Barbie is now a meme.

— The Royals’ Matt Duffy got a fielding error despite the fact that the ball went RIGHT through his glove.

— Christian D’Andrea ranked every flavor of Hard Mountain Dew. You’re welcome.

NBA Twitter reacts to $776 million offer to Kylian Mbappe: ‘NBA better hope Saudis don’t dip their toes in basketball’

Here’s how NBA Twitter reacted to Al-Hilal’s unreal offer to Kylian Mbappe.

According to reports, Saudi Arabian football side Al-Hilal is offering a one-year, $776M deal to PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe.

The offer has become globally known over the past 24 hours, with many sports personalities commenting on it.

The NBA world, including players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James, also commented on this unreal potential deal.

LeBron James jokes about Saudi Arabia soccer team’s huge offer

After Al Hilal offered Kylian Mbappe hundreds of millions of dollars, LeBron James joked he’d head to Saudi Arabia if given a similar deal.

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8222″]

In Saudi Arabia, the soccer team Al Hilal has offered a record transfer fee of $332 million to Paris Saint-Germain for star Kylian Mbappe. The team has offered Mbappe a reported $770 million.

That offer dwarfs salaries across the NBA, which have become outrageous, and even that of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.

James will earn over $53 million this season from the Lakers, and he has a player option for the 2024-25 campaign which, if he exercises it, would mean another $57.6 million. Of course, that’s not including his lifetime contract with Nike, his other endorsements or income from his numerous business ventures.

There is no doubt James loves his money, and he seemed to joke about running off to Saudi Arabia if it were to offer him a humongous deal like the one offered to Mbappe.

Saudi Arabia is not exactly a basketball heavyweight, so Lakers fans shouldn’t exactly be nervous about the four-time MVP sprinting like Forrest Gump to take his basketball career halfway around the world.

Draymond Green reacts to Kylian Mbappe’s reported $776 million transfer offer

Following reports of soccer star Kylian Mbappe’s reported $776 million transfer offer, Draymond Green chimed in on social media with a reaction.

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8222″]

One of the world’s brightest soccer stars could be on the move to a new home this summer. During the summer transfer window, French soccer phenom Kylian Mbappe has been linked to a move away from French powerhouse club, Paris Saint-Germain F.C.

According to multiple reports, PSG and Mbappe has been offered a whopping $776 million transfer offer from Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal.

Following the news of Mbappe’s reported historic transfer fee, many athletes from the sports world have chimed in on social media with different reactions, including NBA stars like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and a member of the Golden State Warriors.

Draymond Green took to Twitter with a hilarious reaction to Mbappe’s reported transfer to Saudi Arabia.

Via @Money23Green on Twitter:

At the start of the offseason, Green inked a new four-year, $100 million contract with the Warriors.

Warriors guard Gary Payton II also weighed in on Twitter with a reaction to Mbappe’s transfer fee.

Via @Garydwayne on Twitter:

As Mbappe’s transfer saga heats up, Green, James, Antetokounmpo and other members of the sports world will be keeping an eye on where the French soccer star lands this summer.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Saudi Arabia would like to pay $1 billion to rent Kylian Mbappe for a year

The reported $332 million transfer fee would be an all-time record

Saudi Arabia has proposed a novel solution to PSG’s current Kylian Mbappé problem, and you will not be surprised to learn that said solution is an ungodly large sum of money.

Al Hilal, funded by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, has reportedly bid $332 million for Mbappé, and is prepared to offer an annual salary of $776 million.

For a one-year rental.

CBS Sports and the AP reported the bid, with the former confirming the contract offer as the Saudis attempt to take advantage of the impasse between PSG and its biggest star.

Mbappé has informed PSG that he will not sign an extension to his contract, which expires next summer, as he is widely expected to join Real Madrid on a free transfer when his contract expires.

In response, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said earlier this month that the superstar forward would not be allowed to stay and play out his contract before leaving on a free next summer. His only options would be to sign a new deal now, or be sold (by the way: that’s not how contracts work).

PSG escalated its war against its biggest star when it excluded Mbappé from the club’s preseason tour of Japan.

PSG may have been given a lifeline in the form of the massive Saudi bid, which, per CBS, incredibly comes with the assumption that Mbappé will leave next summer to join Madrid.

That’s right: $1 billion for one season.

Unsurprisingly, PSG has accepted the bid rather than lose Mbappé for nothing next summer, but that is far from the end of the story: ESPN has reported the 24-year-old is not interested in the Saudi offer.

The Saudis may be signing big names left and right this summer but when it comes to their two biggest targets, Mbappé and Lionel Messi, it looks like they are set to go 0-for-2.

[lawrence-related id=23863,22414,23400]

Kylian Mbappé standing next to Victor Wembanyama showed how tall the future NBA star really is

A reminder that Victor Wembanyama is TALL.

We’re going to get a lot of this over the next few years, aren’t we?

It’s happened with other tall athletes standing next to less tall athletes and it will happen with Victor Wembanyama, who measures in at 7-foot-4. A video of the (possible? probable!) future No. 1 NBA Draft pick meeting French soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé has been making the rounds on Twitter, and although Mbappé isn’t that short at 5-foot-10, the difference in their heights was noticed by everyone.

Mostly, it was because it shows just how tall Wemby truly is. Fans on Twitter noticed and remarked on it:

[affiliatewidget_deal1]