Just over a year ago after months of speculation, most of which debated when not if he would become a Real Madrid player, Kylian Mbappe was suddenly staying put.

Unexpectedly Paris Saint-Germain had managed to convince their star striker to spend another three years in the French capital.

With his trademark broad grin, the young forward held a jersey with 2025 printed on the back to celebrate the news.

“I have chosen to extend my contract at Paris Saint-Germain, and I am very happy. I am convinced that here I can continue to grow within a club that gives itself all the means to perform at the highest level,” he said in a club statement.

“I am also very happy to be able to continue playing in France, the country where I was born, grew up and flourished.”

The news was greeted with shock and dismay, especially in Spain where Madrid had spent a considerable period budgeting for Mbappe’s arrival.

There were reports that on top of his massive salary, the Frenchman had been granted powers well beyond the regular soccer player, that he was a de-facto sporting director.

At the time Mbappe denied it was anything but love and clarity over the direction of the team.

“Everybody knows I wanted to leave last year,” he told the media.

“I was convinced that was the best decision at the time. The context is different now, in sporting terms and personal terms. France is the country where I grew up, I’ve always lived here and leaving wasn’t right. The sporting project has changed as well, that made me want to stay, I don’t think my story is over yet.”

But, just 12 months after that proclamation, his mind has been swayed again.

It now appears Mbappe again does not see his long-term future in Paris.

The contract, it turned out, was two years with an option for a third.

No sooner had this season concluded, than reports emerged Mbappe had no intention of staying at Paris Saint-Germain.

Despite his protestations to the contrary, he is pretty much the same scenario as he was last summer with one year remaining on his deal.

Already the same tired rumours about Real Madrid preparing a mega-bid to tempt PSG-who risk losing him for free-to sell have emerged.

As Mbappe himself admits this is the third summer in succession which will be clouded by doubts about his future

To be caught in one summer transfer saga is understandable and forgivable, to be caught in two in succession makes you wonder if is it him, but to have three in a row suggests he's seeking the drama.

Speculation is, of course, out of Mbappe’s control, but when you remind yourself that just months after signing the contract extension his desire to leave imminently was leaked to the press.

That situation which developed last Autumn was best summed up by a Tweet from transfer specialist journalist Fabrizio Romano: “Kylian Mbappe, not happy with Paris Saint-Germain as current situation is really tense. He wants to leave the club, as soon as possible,” he wrote, “Paris Saint-Germain feel he’s really putting pressure on the club — they have no intention to sell Mbappe in January.”

Amidst the whirl of the constant drama we often forget the reason why the young Frenchman is one of the most sought-after talents in world soccer.

This is the man who almost single-handedly dragged his national team back from the brink on the greatest of all stages, the World Cup final, with two remarkable goals.

He is a talent on par with the two greatest players of the previous generation, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, a man who bends games to his will and can make the very best look like amateurs.

But the constant off-field drama is starting to take its toll.

Unlike Cristiano Ronaldo whose histrionics began once he had a room full of trophies and memorable performances in the bank, the soap opera with Mbappe has come before he’s cemented his reputation as a great.

Beyond the World Cups, there are few Mbappe performances or streaks of form which could be considered iconic in the manner of Messi or Ronaldo.

Certainly when you compare it to the incredible campaign the distinctly less drama-hungry Erling Haaland has just racked up it is disappointing.

This is arguably the greatest talent of his generation a player for whom we should be consuming endless reels of his breathtaking ability, not stories about release clauses or arguments with teammates.

The sentiment was well summed up by an email to the website Football 365 by a fan called William from the English city Leicester.

“Mbappe used to be very likable and seemed like one of the more humble superstars but it appears the past few years of fame and wealth have corrupted him,” he wrote.

“To add to this, unlike other young stars for example Haaland, Musiala and Bellingham has he really developed much in the past two seasons? He is obviously very talented but certainly not a team player, not a big presser so a bad fit for most clubs and is his goal-scoring record that impressive considering he is in Ligue 1? Not really.

“For someone who is supposed to be his generation’s greatest talent playing at by far the best club in its respective league you’d expect a goal or more a game in France. Messi and Ronaldo both did that in La Liga and Haaland is doing that now in the PL, both superior leagues.”

For everyone’s sake I hope Mbappe just moves to Real Madrid at least then for a few years we can enjoy watching him do what he’s incredible at playing soccer.