Real Madrid are definitely interested in Kylian Mbappe this summer, but there has been a tone of reporting coming out of the Spanish capital that they are much less keen than in 2022. A consistent line has been that Real Madrid will not throw everything into a deal, nor will they be messed around by Mbappe.
In keeping with that, Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has been linked with a move to Los Blancos should talks with Mbappe go south. Now FootballTransfers claim that senior board members at Real Madrid are advocating for a move for Napoli forward Victor Osimhen.
‘More experienced and wiser heads’ as they are termed feel that Osimhen would suit Real Madrid and their style of play much better, given the big Nigerian is more similar to Karim Benzema, who departed in the summer. The money set aside for Mbappe between signing bonuses and salary would probably cover a deal for Osimhen too.
Ultimately, it is Florentino Perez who calls the shots with decisions of this magnitude, and Mbappe has always been a personal obsession of his. If Real Madrid are to go in a different direction, it will not happen until Perez is convinced that Mbappe is not the signing they need, or the Frenchman commits to Paris Saint-Germain.