Real Madrid had made a final bid for Mbappe on transfer deadline day, but missed out on their man
The Mbappe-to-Real Madrid story has been one of the ongoing sagas of this crazy summer transfer window, but as the sound of a window slamming shut ringed out across Europe on Tuesday night, the French star was very much still a PSG player.
Real Madrid submitted a final, massive €200 million offer for him on deadline day. However, PSG, a club that aren't exactly in need of money, held firm even though this is likely to see their poster boy leave for free next summer.
It was Mbappe's activity on Instagram that caught the attention of many though.
After his transfer to Real fell through, Mbappe reposted a story from a friend, with the caption reading: "Respect, my brother, for your professionalism, reschedule your dreams for soon, life is beautiful, you're the best."
The post was accompanied by an image of Mbappe with this thumbs-up. 'Dream On' by Aerosmith was playing in the background.
Mbappe later took the post down, but not until it had been seen by many.
https://twitter.com/MadridXtra/status/1432819990873485315
It's pretty rare for the French forward to make any comment about transfer speculation and his future, having been pretty silent over the summer as he focused on his performances on the pitch.
The fact that he wants to join Los Blancos though is one of the worst-kept secrets in football.
After he failed to get a move to Madrid this summer, it seems inevitable that he will join the Spanish giants on a free transfer next summer when his contract in Paris runs out.
The 22-year-old has turned down a number of contract offers from PSG, with
Le Parisien reporting that the club had offered him a new two-year deal that would have made him the highest-paid player in the world.
From January, Mbappe will be able to sign a pre-contract agreement with another club.
PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that the former Monaco man is happy in Paris though.
Following PSG's 2-0 win over Reims at the weekend, in which Mbappe scored twice, Pochettino said: "Mbappe is our player.
"The football industry is full of rumour. Our president and Leonardo are very clear.
