Kylian Mbappe might have five Premier League clubs to consider alongside Real Madrid
Wikimedia CommonsOne of the longest-running transfer sagas in recent years looks likely to end this summer after it emerged Kylian Mbappe will leave Paris Saint-Germain at the conclusion of this season.
Mbappe has been with the French champions since 2017 and won a multitude of trophies with them at domestic level. The Champions League has so far eluded the 25-year-old but there is little else he hasn’t won since breaking through at Monaco as a fresh-faced teenager.
Attention will now turn to who Mbappe will join from Les Parisiens, and one suitor stands out above the rest: Real Madrid.
Madrid have been linked with Mbappe for several years and it is seldom the case that Los Blancos do not end up with a player they want.
Their splurge on Jude Bellingham last summer did not leave much wiggle room for another galactico signing but they would surely not pass up the chance to land him on a free transfer this time around.
Madrid are, of course, blessed with an embarrassment of attacking riches. Mbappe is at his best on the left flank and in Vinicius Junior, Madrid already have one of the few players in world football who operates in the Parisian’s stratosphere.
The prodigious Brazilian striker Endrick will arrive in the Spanish capital this summer too and there is hope inside the Bernabeu’s corridors of power that he will lead their line for well over a decade.
In the unlikely event that Madrid view Mbappe to be surplus to requirements, a move to Spain would be off the cards, given Barcelona’s financial situation.
Italy, too, seems an unlikely destination, while Bayern Munich, surely the only team in Germany that could fund a potential move, do not generally indulge players that are prone to causing off-field drama.
The Premier League clubs who could be in the running
In England, Arsenal were the latest club to be linked with Mbappe this week and Mikel Arteta said on Friday morning that the Gunners must be “in the conversation” to sign players of his quality.
Liverpool could have a sizable budget for a forward this summer if they offload Mo Salah to the Saudi Pro League, while Chelsea have shown a willingness to sign just about anybody under Todd Boehly – although their almost-certain lack of Champions League football next season would not appeal.
Manchester United’s new football and recruitment structure could be in place by the summer and it feels likely that they will veer away from making several marquee signings per year in favour of a more calculated approach. Man City are rich enough to sign Mbappe too but would a player of his individuality fit in under a manager where the team comes above all else?
Mbappe turned down a move to Saudi Arabia last summer and one suspects his desire to play there has not grown over the last few months.
Simply put, Madrid are the hot favourites – it would be a surprise to see him lining up for any other team when August comes around.
