Real Madrid are reportedly willing to commit £200million to sign their No 1 transfer target Kylian Mbappe – but have no intention of haggling with Paris Saint-Germain.
Talks over the French star didn’t even get started this summer despite Mbappe, 24, being frozen out for a time at the Parc des Princes.
Mbappe has since returned to the fold, smashing in five goals in his first three PSG matches of the season, and there are even suggestions he may agree to a new contract that would ensure the Parisians get some money if and when he moves.
But Spanish newspaper Sport say Real Madrid intend to reach a pre-contract agreement for Mbappe in January, so he will join them for nothing when his PSG deal expires on June 30.
Sport add that Real didn’t like PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi rejecting their approaches out of hand, even offers approaching £172m.
Real Madrid are optimistic they can wrap up a January pre-contract agreement with Kylian Mbappe, who is resisting PSG’s attempts to get him to sign a new deal to ensure them a fee
Mbappe is all smiles in training with France this week ahead of a friendly with Germany
Instead, Real resolved to set aside around £200m for Mbappe in the form of wages and a signing-on fee – something which is believed to still be the case.
Mbappe has so far resisted PSG’s pressure to sign a new contract to ensure they receive some form of transfer fee from Real.
In the meantime, Real have cleared the decks for Mbappe to become their superstar striker by not pursuing an immediate replacement for Karim Benzema when he moved to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.
This has backfired slightly after the hamstring injury suffered by Vinicius Jr but given Real have won each of their opening four matches to top LaLiga, there appears little issue at present.
The No 9 shirt has been left free for Mbappe but given the Frenchman snubbed them back in 2022 to sign a contract extension at PSG and so nothing is being taken for granted at the Bernabeu.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi poses with Mbappe after he signed his contract extension in 2022 but the striker isn’t likely to stay until 2025
