Representatives for Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé held meetings with senior officials from two clubs — one in the Premier League, one in Serie A — at a private location in Paris last week, according to two sources with knowledge of the meetings. The discussions were described as preliminary but substantive, with both clubs having been given clear encouragement that a conversation was worth pursuing.

The sources said Mbappé's camp was not simply fielding unsolicited approaches. Both sets of club officials were invited to Paris through intermediaries, and the meetings lasted several hours each. "His people wanted to understand what was on the table," one person briefed on the matter said. "This was not a courtesy call."

Separately, Real Madrid has begun internal discussions about potential replacements for Mbappé, a development that sources within the club described as a contingency exercise rather than an assumption of departure. The club has not publicly addressed the reports, and no spokesperson responded to requests for comment by the time of publication.

Mbappé missed an optional training session on Wednesday without offering an explanation to club staff. A person inside the club said the absence had been noted internally and that his movements were being monitored more closely than usual. Club sources described the overall atmosphere around the player as "professional but tense."

Relations between Mbappé and the coaching staff have been described by multiple sources as strained following a stretch of matches in which he was substituted before the 60-minute mark on four occasions. A person close to the player said the substitutions had been a source of private frustration. "He did not come to Madrid to be managed off the pitch," the person said. "He wants to be trusted."

Mbappé joined Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024, ending a decade-long association with the French club. He signed a five-year contract and was presented as the centrepiece of a new era for the Spanish club. He has scored 34 goals in all competitions in his debut season but has struggled to establish the kind of consistency his profile demands.

Neither Mbappé nor his representatives have commented publicly on the Paris meetings or the speculation about his future. A final decision on his situation is expected to become clearer in the weeks following the end of the domestic season.