Izuchukwu Okosi
France and Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe on Saturday evening announced that he will be renewing his contract until 2025 with the French billionaires amid interest from Real, Madrid.
Mbappe’s current contract ends in June and had initially turned down PSG’s offer made to him but the 2018 World Cup winner who is originally from Cameroon through his parents, finally accepted a much improved offer which makes him one of the decision makers at his club even as a player and not part of management team.
The 23-year-old has been handed a eye-watering €300M signing bonus, €100M yearly salary after tax which is about N43.9 b.
Mbappe will help in approving the players and coach that comes or leaves the club, He will have a say on the sporting director with current man, Leonardo who is not on good terms with Mbappe set to depart this summer.
Ahead of the Ligue 1 clash with Metz Saturday night, Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Mbappe joined each other on the pitch to make clear to the supporters that the 23-year-old is staying at the Parc des Princes.
“I would like to announce that I have chosen to extend my contract at Paris Saint-Germain, and of course I am delighted,” Mbappe told PSG’s official media.
“I am convinced that here I can continue to grow at a club that provides everything necessary to perform at the highest level.
“I am also delighted to continue to play in France, the country where I was born, where I have grown up and where I have made my name.
“I would like to thank the president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, for his trust, his understanding and his patience.
“I would also like to thank all the fans of Paris Saint-Germain, both in France and around the world, for their support, especially in recent months.
“Together, side by side and ambitious, we will make magic in Paris.”
PSG have acquiesced to all of Mbappe’s demands and he now finds himself in a position of incredible power at the Parc des Princes.
A new sporting director will replace Leonardo as per Mbappe’s instruction, and there may also be another coach appointed to replace Mauricio Pochettino, and the forward will have an input in that process too.
Doubts grew in Madrid on Saturday morning after rumours emerged on Friday night that Mbappe wouldn’t be coming to the Spanish capital, and there is now a feeling of anger within the club at how the player used Los Merengues.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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