According to ESPN, talks in Doha between Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser al Khelaifi and Kylian Mbappe's representation are going well.
The Ligue 1 champions are doing everything they can to keep Mbappe at the club, and the current conversations might be a watershed moment in the struggle between PSG and Real Madrid for Mbappe's services next season.
Fayza Lamari, Mbappe's mother and the person in charge of her son's contract negotiations, took a trip to the Middle East with her youngest son Ethan this week for a holiday and to continue talking with PSG.
This month, Al-Khelaifi will be there full-time, and reports believe Mbappe's mother may meet Qatar's Emir, who owns PSG. According to ESPN, Lamari planned to fly to Madrid after her stay in Doha to speak with executives from the Real front office.
The likely LaLiga winners remain the favorites to get Mbappe on a free transfer this summer, but PSG are increasingly confident in their ability to persuade him to stay in Paris.
According to insiders, one key sticking point for Mbappe is his image rights, which have been discussed extensively this week in Doha. The 23-year-old wants complete control of his image rights, allowing him to choose which brands and companies he works with. According to sources, the Ligue 1 leaders are prepared to accept that request, just as they did with Lionel Messi.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, has a policy of keeping half of each player's image rights, and it would be unprecedented for president Florentino Perez to grant Mbappe's request.
Another question posed by the Mbappe camp is how much money PSG would spend over the summer to improve their team's competitiveness. Sporting director Leonardo and manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose futures at the Parc des Princes are unknown beyond this season, are already planning the squad for 2022-23, with Mbappe at the center.
According to reports in France in March, Mbappe would be given the captain's armband as an incentive to remain and help PSG win the Champions League for the first time.
Mbappe, on the other hand, has stated in private that he has not yet determined where he will play next season, and insiders have stated that he is not in a rush to make a decision and might wait until June or later to do so.