Paris Saint-Germain's all-time leading goalscorer Kylian Mbappe will not train with the first-team squad when they step up preparations for the start of the Ligue 1 season on Monday.
The France forward has been in a contract stand-off with PSG amid a desire to join Real Madrid. His current contract expires next summer, and PSG are keen to sell him now and secure a transfer fee rather than let him go for nothing.
As a result, Mbappe was left out of PSG's touring squad for their pre-season trip to Asia. He subsequently refused to meet with representatives of Al-Hilal, who made a world record offer to bring him to the Saudi Pro League.
It is understood that Mbappe will now train with the 'loft' group, which is a group of players who are not seen as part of the club's first-team plans this season.
PSG sources say their most recent attempt to broker a solution to the situation was to offer Mbappe a guaranteed sale clause in his contract for the end of this season. This offer was rejected.
After years of underachievement at Champions League level with their 'galactico' model of signing superstar players, PSG are now going down a different path. They are understood to be close to completing a deal for Benfica's Goncalo Ramos, who scored a hat-trick for Portugal at last year's World Cup in Qatar.
PSG are expected to pay 80m euros (£69m) for the forward.
The situation with Mbappe is a complex one, and it is unclear what the next steps will be. However, it is clear that PSG are determined to sell him, and they are unlikely to back down from their demands.
What does this mean for PSG?
The decision to train Mbappe with the 'loft' group is a clear sign that PSG are no longer counting on him for the upcoming season. This is a significant development, as Mbappe is one of the best players in the world, and his absence will be a major blow to PSG's hopes of winning the Ligue 1 title and the Champions League.
It is also worth noting that PSG are close to completing a deal for Ramos, who is a talented young player with a lot of potential. This suggests that PSG are already looking to the future, and they are prepared to move on from Mbappe.
