If Real Madrid wanted to avoid getting into another transfer saga over Kylian Mbappe, they will have been bitterly disappointed with the first week of January. Since he has become free to sign a deal with any club he pleases, a steady stream of reports on his future have made their way into the world.

Los Blancos had reportedly given him until mid-January to make a decision, but that ‘deadline’ is in fact the end of January, according to a report from L’Equipe carried by Sport. Real Madrid consider it a reasonable period in which to decide his future so that all three parties – it does appear that those are the only ones involved – can start planning ahead.

The same report goes on to detail that the decision will not go beyond the first week of February, in order to give him time to focus on PSG’s Champions League Round of 16 tie against Real Sociedad. He has made a pact with PSG to do so, just as he agreed to forego around €80m if he does go to Real Madrid. It may be that he announces his decision internally at PSG in order to get it out of the way.

Simultaneously, Le Parisien are claiming that Mbappe already has a contract offer from PSG to pen a long-term extension. Meanwhile it had been reported that Real Madrid’s offer to Mbappe is exactly the same as the one they thought they had agreed to with him two summers ago. El Chiringuito say that Los Blancos have in fact reduced their offer, and although his salary remains the same, his signing bonus has dropped by €100m to €50m.’

Mbappe recently declared that he had not made a decision, and certainly the number of conflicting reports would suggest that there is little clarity on the matter. While all sides seem keen to wrap up proceedings during the course of the month, and it would probably best, for Mbappe’s negotiating team, they may gamble on stringing the situation out again.