Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappe look destined to cross paths sooner or later, although it does appear as if Los Blancos had originally planned for later.
Paris Saint-Germain want to move Mbappe on this summer though, in order to avoid him leaving for free. They feel he has already agreed a deal to sign for Real Madrid next summer, when his deal runs out with PSG.
So far he has refused to leave and continued with his plan to see out his contract at PSG, who are hoping that Real Madrid will negotiate a deal with them for Mbappe.
According to Jonathan Johnson, revealed in his exclusive column with Caught Offside, they believe the signing on fee Real Madrid have promised him is partly responsible for his reluctance to force a move this summer. His information is that PSG believe the bonus could be as much as a remarkable €160m.
If that is the case, his signing bonus alone would come third behind his own move to PSG from AS Monaco, and Neymar’s switch from Barcelona in terms of record transfer fees.
For Real Madrid, they would no doubt rather the money went to Mbappe than PSG in a transfer fee at any rate, provided they are content for him to arrive next summer.
This can be seen as part of a wider shift that has seen players exercising their value on the market, waiting until their contracts have expired and then maximising their value on the market – much in the same as in the NBA or NFL.
…or this is all a charade to lower the transfer fee.
U lowering that asking price yet Khelaifi?
Perfect. They players aren’t slaves. They are employees of the club and can make their own decisions within the framework of their contract. The whole saga has grown so much only because PSG made him a prima-donna for their own interests. Mbappe is now acting within his rights. Period