Real Madrid are willing to spend €200 million to sign Kylian Mbappe this summer despite only one year remaining on his contract at Paris Saint-Germain.
Los Merengues’ pursuit of the 24-year-old forward filled the headlines last year, and a long-running saga seems to be picking up steam this summer.
Hours after the France national team captain played down rumours of contract extension talks at the Parc des Princes, L’Equipe claimed Madrid could break the bank to lure him to Spain.
They were ready to splash out north of €150m to land the ex-Monaco man before he refused a switch to La Liga to commit to a new contract in Paris.
But despite leading Les Parisiens’ quest for a record-breaking 11th Ligue 1 title in 2022/23 with another sublime individual campaign, Mbappe seems to have run out of patience with the club’s continuous European struggle.
With only a year left to run on his contract, Paris may not have any other option but to accept reality and try to earn as much as possible from their superstar’s inevitable departure.
Madrid have an added incentive to pursue a deal for Mbappe with more determination and intensity following Karim Benzema’s move to Al-Ittihad.
To fill the gaping void left by the 35-year-old’s exit, Los Merengues must land a top-class goalscorer, and there are not many better options than the perennial Ligue 1 Golden Boot winner.
The Spaniards have reportedly halted their interest in Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane, leaving Mbappe as the only world-class striker capable of replacing Benzema.
However, they will not force the issue, as they did last summer.
They’re willing to wait for PSG to make their move first now that they are aware of the player’s desire to follow Lionel Messi through the exit door.
