Real Madrid have reportedly withdrawn from the race to sign the Paris Saint-Germain superstar
Kylian Mbappe, despite being the world’s best footballer, may struggle for a place to call home next season.
That may sound foolish for someone who refused to entertain a mouthwatering £200million salary for one season in the Saudi Pro League. For years, Real Madrid pursued the Frenchman, desperate for him to become the latest superstar and carry on the Galactico legacy.
Given they already boast Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior in their ranks – two Crown Jewels of world football – a move for a third global icon looked likely. But years of adopting an erratic financial outlook may have killed the Mbappe deal stone dead.
The Telegraph have substantiated claims that emerged from Spain last week suggesting Madrid have pulled out of the race for the 24-year-old. Los Blancos released a bizarre statement insisting they are not close to signing Mbappe, an odd move for any club to make about an opposing player never mind the world’s best.
Closer to home, the club’s long-serving capocrimine, Florentino Perez, remains infatuated by the European Super League idea which would dig Madrid out of their financial hole. Last year, the La Liga giants sold 30% of their future Bernabeu revenue for the next 20 years to US investment firm Sixth Street.
Given the stadium is forecasted to make €400million per season, do the maths. The days of signing Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Gareth Bale are over, with Perez now preferring a prudent approach based on signing wonderkids.
Aside from Saudi Arabia, the Premier League is the only plausible destination for Mbappe to consider. Chelsea and Manchester City spring to mind immediately given their historical record but Arsenal and Manchester United have also splashed the cash in recent times.
A move to Madrid was widely considered Mbappe’s anticipated destination but his career could hit an unexpected crossroads. Out of contract at the end of the campaign, the Frenchman may not even feel at home if he stays put.
The forward has endured a frosty relationship with PSG fans in recent times. Several antagonistic comments have riled up the club’s fervent supporter base, with Mbappe lashing out following Lionel Messi’s exit in the summer.
He also called PSG a “divisive club” in an interview with L’Equipe – hardly conducive to a fruitful relationship. In truth, Mbappe has been angling to leave for some time. Figures at the club are even showing their displeasure. Despite Mbappe scoring every goal in a 3-0 win over Reims to fire PSG top of the league, manager Luis Enrique slammed the player.
“I’m not really happy with Kylian today,” he said. “I have nothing to say about the goals but he can help the team more, in different ways. He’s a world-class player, we want more. I’m going to talk to him about it first, it’s private.”
Enrique might demand more, but PSG may end up with nothing for a forward regarded by many as the greatest on planet Earth. It has been a while, years, in fact, since the world’s best player played in the Premier League.
English clubs’ financial muscle and a rethink of strategy elsewhere could finally pave the way to end that streak. Whether any of the London powerhouses can lure him to the capital and wrestle back control from the north is a different matter.
