The summer transfer window could trigger a host of reactive moves with Kylian Mbappe at the centre of a European striker scramble.
Mbappe faces a crunch few weeks as he prepares to make a call on his Paris Saint-Germain future ahead of the 2023/24 season.
PSG have reiterated a stance of being ready to sell their talisman, in a potential €200m deal, if he refuses to extend his contract in Paris.
The clause to extend from 2024 to 2025 needs to be activated before the end of July, with Mbappe unwilling to do that, at this stage.
If PSG push to sell, Real Madrid will pivot on their plan to sign him for free in 2024, but other moves need to be completed first.
The French team need to bring in a replacement which will involve reshuffles at other European teams.
Morata to ‘replace’ Lukaku would fill one spot with the latter’s arrival in Turin pushing Dusan Vlahovic off his perch as the No.1 striker for Max Allegri.
As per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, those moves will keep the dominoes falling, with PSG ready to go for Vlahovic, on the back of the Serbian not quite matching his build up in the last two seasons.
Romelu Lukaku won't travel to USA with Chelsea. He'll be back early next week to train but Pochettino is 100% aligned with the board: getting €40m for him is one of the priorities now. 🔵🇧🇪
Inter, deal off. Juventus, depending on Vlahovic-PSG. Saudi, still waiting and hoping. pic.twitter.com/svosMcO1OG
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 16, 2023
A mega money move for Vlahovic will not fill the Mbappe void at the Parc des Princes, but ongoing transfer preparations are being made in Paris, with breaking point almost reached in Mbappe’s relationship with the club.
Real Madrid will be watching closely as each move is wrapped up, with the Spanish side unable to impact any stage of the wider squad changes, but they will be waiting at the finish line to get their hands on Mbappe.
