New Delhi, Jun 13 (IANS): French football star Kylian Mbappe has informed Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) that he will leave the Ligue 1 club after his contract ends next year.

The 24-year-old French international, who joined PSG in 2017, penned a new two-year contract with the French champions last year, with the option of a third year when it expires in June 2024.

But, the Parisian striker informed PSG, in a letter received on Monday, that he would not exercise the option of one more year (until 2025) in his contract, French leading sports daily L'Équipe reported.

The decision means that Mbappe would be free to depart without any transfer fee at the conclusion of the next season, and could agree a pre-contract move with a club outside France from January 2024.

Since joining PSG in 2017, he has scored 212 goals in 260 games and finished as Ligue 1's top scorer in each of the last five seasons and has won five league titles in his six seasons at PSG.

The Frenchman would be the second high-profile forward to leave PSG, after Argentina forward Lionel Messi left the club at the end of his two-year contract.

Mbappe's departure from the club follows the reports indicating that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez had expressed his intention to secure the signing of the French striker, albeit not during the current summer transfer window.

Real Madrid is looking for a new senior striker to lead the line after Karim Benzema quit for Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League.