After all the speculation, all the hearsay, all of the column inches filled and clicks on websites generated, Kylian Mbappe has elected to stay in Paris — for now. Barring some sort of seismic spectacular event, a mishap in paperwork, or a season-ending injury, it seems that the controversial Parisian playmaker will play out the rest of his contract with his hometown club for the next few months.
But in six months, the situation could look radically different. There is mass uncertainty about Mbappe's future, and the transfer rumours have started to swirl. If Mbappe does leave Paris Saint-Germain, then Real Madrid seems the most likely destination.
That would leave PSG with a massive hole to fill. And among the incessant chatter as to who they could call upon to offset the loss of arguably their club's greatest ever player, one name keeps cropping up: Rafael Leao. Reports in both the Italian and French press have suggested that the Portugal winger could be on the move from AC Milan this summer, with the glitz of Paris beckoning him across Europe.
What might seem like a throwaway story now, though, would make a lot of sense. Leao is the kind of exciting attacking star that PSG fans want, and the kind of dynamic forward that manager Luis Enrique needs. If Mbappe is to depart, then Leao would be the right man to carry out the unenviable job of filling the void.