With the France captain having refused to sign a contract extension at Paris St-Germain, the French champions are attempting to cash in on their record goalscorer to avoid losing him for nothing next summer.
Step forward, Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, who shocked the footballing world on Monday with astaggering attempt at a world record with a bid of £259 millionfor the France captain.
But what happens now? Could he actually swap the Champions League for the Saudi Pro League? And where is the striker likely to end up?
If he moved to Saudi, Mbappe is poised to surpass Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo's reported £177m-a year earnings at Al Nassr following his transfer from Manchester United in December, making him the highest paid player in football.
It has been reported that Mbappe could earn close to 700m euros (£602m) a year with commercial arrangements and image rights on top of his salary.
French football journalist Lisa Leroux believes the £259m offer proves Mbappe really is a once in a generation player but that "he won't go, for him it's more than just about the money".
No player has ever been offered this salary in football, and I think even in sporting history for one year, Leroux said. The salary that he would be getting would just be historic and out of this world.
It would be about 59m euros a month, almost 2m euros a day.
French football expert Julien Laurens agrees and says Mbappe will not go to Saudi.
He doesn't want to go there Laurens told BBC Radio 5 Live. When PSG say we have given permission to speak to Mbappe, he doesn't want to speak to them, Al-Hilal know that. It's not about money for him.
He just wants to win every trophy possible. Right now, at 24 years old, that does not include the Saudi League.
Real Madrid are long-term admirers of the player and he was close to a move to Spain before signing his latest PSG deal last year. He says reports he wants to join Real this summer are "lies".
Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Inter Milan and Barcelona have also expressed an interest.
PSG are open to the idea of Mbappe leaving on loan this summer to see out the final year of his contract elsewhere.
This would allow him to join Real for nothing in 12 months' time, keep playing this season and generate a loan fee for PSG.
We know for example Barcelona yesterday picked up the phone to PSG, and said listen 'we can't afford any transfer fee for him, we can't even afford his wages', said Laurens.
Mbappe earns 72m euros gross a year, but no-one can pay that so he will have to take a pay cut and he's aware of it, but Barcelona said 'how about we swap players for Mbappe, who do you want in our squad?
Every big club in Europe is going to try to put something together to maybe, firstly, convince PSG to sell to them, and then convince Mbappe to come to them.
That could be from United, to Liverpool, all the English clubs, maybe in Italy as well, but Real Madrid are the favorites because they have the money, that's where he wants to go, and they want him.
As we've been saying before, they've been chasing him since he was 11 years old. Real are the big favorites but are they ready to pay the 150m euros that PSG would want, instead of waiting and getting him or nothing in 12 months' time?
Laurens believes Real should pursue Mbappe this summer instead of waiting for him to become a free agent, as that could lead to a costly bidding war for signing fees and wages.
If they sign him now then their team gets much better already. Why wait if they have the money? he added.
Even as a free agent, to sign him you have to give a big signing on fee. For Real it makes sense if they can move now. It is just a matter of when the negotiations start between the two clubs, they are huge favorites to land him this summer.
They had the money for him a year ago, when he decided, against all odds and as a big surprise, to stay in Paris for longer and not go to Real on a free.
Even after spending 103m euros on [England midfielder] Jude Bellingham there is space in the wage bill and money available for a transfer fee. If they pay £150m it would be spread over the length of the contract.
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