Transfer season can be a strange time for the world of football, as a whole. For fans, it could be a summer of heartbreak, or the calm before a silverware-lifting storm. Meanwhile, players could find themselves thrown into a new environment entirely with last-minute moves, which ask them to swim to success or sink to irrelevancy.
Whether it be the players or the fans, however, both are sometimes left following transfer rumours for months on end, wondering whether they'll be either supporting a new star player, or playing alongside them.
Some may believe that players have an inside scoop, but Real Madrid's Rodrygo has recently proved that this is not always the case, admitting his uncertainty as to whether we'll see Kylian Mbappe at the Santiago Bernabeu anytime soon.
Of course, this could all be smoke and mirrors, but Rodrygo is unlikely to know the Paris Saint-Germain forward's future when even he doesn't seem to know it, himself, at times.
What did Rodrygo say?
Speaking to Sport TV, via Goal, Rodrygo said: "At Real Madrid, it's very complicated, there are always rumours and this year there were rumours about Harry Kane.
"When I arrived in Madrid there was a lot of talk about [Paul] Pogba coming, so I don't have any information we have to wait and see. Of course, I hope Mbappe comes because he will help us a lot. He is a real star, but we really don't know anything."
Of course, we know now that Pogba did not end up at Madrid, as is the case as of right now with Kane, perhaps proving that, at least in this case, even the players can't predict Mbappe's next move.
How many goals has Kylian Mbappe scored for PSG?
Joining PSG in the summer of 2017 for a reported £166m, Mbappe has been a revelation ever since, scoring an incredible 212 goals in just 260 appearances. The fact is, the Frenchman is one of, if not the best striker in the world.
With just one year left on his PSG deal, too, the Ligue 1 champions could lose the man they initially splashed out £166m on for free, in what would be a financial calamity.
As far as they're concerned, it's either Mbappe signs a new contract or he leaves this summer.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi told Le Parisien, via Fabrizio Romano: "Kylian Mbappe he has to decide next week or in two weeks. No more than this.
"If he does not want to sign a new contract, the door is OPEN. No one is bigger than the club, no player, not even me. It's very clear."
The longer the summer goes on, however, the less likely it seems that the forward will be on the move this summer. The French club seem to be in a stand-off with their star man in a far-from-ideal situation.
Given that they've already waved goodbye to Lionel Messi this summer, too, the question needs to be asked as to whether they can afford to let Mbappe leave on top of that.
It's certainly a situation to keep an eye on, especially as PSG have now reportedly placed a €200m (£171m) price tag on the forward.
