Kylian Mbappe next target club for next season
As the contract ends by next season, Kylian Mbappe next target club search will be intense as he will be moving by next season. If that happens, the French champions risk losing him on a free transfer some 180m euros (£165.7m) less than they paid for him in 2017.
The 24-year-old has scored 212 goals and contributed 98 assists in 260 games since joining PSG from Monaco, starting the loan, but eventually winning five league titles among his 13 domestic trophies with the club.
He also played a important role in France’s 2018 World Cup triumph and his international record of 38 goals in 68 appearances places him fifth on his country’s all-time top scorers list, 15 behind record holder Olivier Giroud.
In December, Mbappe scored the first hat-trick in a World Cup final since the record from 1966 but a penalty shootout loss to Argentina denied him as they won the FIFA world cup 2022.
Real Madrid
Mbappe looked destined to sign for Real Madrid only last year. He had agreed a financial package with both Real and PSG as he considered his future before the contract expires.
Real were willing to pay 150m euros (£127m) as a signing-on fee and a wage of 40m euros (£34m). Instead, Mbappe chose to accept a lucrative new deal and remain at PSG, although he said the dream of playing for Real is “never over”.
Manchester United
Manchester United are another big club searching for a player this summer and among the few Premier League clubs with the financial capacity to fund a move.
There remains unclear around the club’s future ownership, however, with Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and rival bidder Sir Jim Ratcliffe are waiting for the Glazer family decision in bidding for the Man Utd club.
Manager Erik Ten Hag has given importance in his second summer transfer window, with England captain Kane an option if Spurs chairman Daniel Levy indicates a willingness to sell to a domestic rival.
However, news of Mbappe’s situation could perhaps tempt United to offer the Frenchman a move to England – and any potential new owner an opportunity to make a promising first impression. Jude Bellingham has agreed a deal with Real Madrid £115m from Borussia Dortmund.
Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Pro League has signed Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo and now former Real team-mate Benzema.
Four of the leading Saudi Arabian clubs were recently taken over by the country’s Public Investment Fund, which also owns Newcastle United and LIV Golf.
Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr saw the five-time Ballon d’Or winner become the world’s highest-paid athlete, with Forbes reporting the 38-year-old’s annual earnings as $136m (£108.7m) in May.
After Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal missed out on Argentina legend Lionel Messi as he joins Inter Milan, a similarly lucrative offer emerging for another global superstar in Mbappe would not come as a surprise.
Chelsea
It was quite the first year for Chelsea under new owner Todd Boehly, who proceeded to splash out more than £550m across two transfer windows following his takeover.
The club may not be quite as aggressive this summer as they look to seek to trim their bloated squad and also ensure they adhere to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
However, the lengthy contracts they have handed out – British record 121m euro (£107m) signing Enzo Fernandez and £89m addition Mykhailo Mudryk both joined on eight-and-a-half year deals – allow them to spread out the cost of each player over that time.
Which means, should they succeed in reducing their squad size, Boehly’s Blues could very well be in the market for yet another statement signing as they look to bounce back from a disastrous season on the pitch in which they finished 12th in the English top flight.
Liverpool
Mbappe made clear his admiration for Liverpool back in 2020, describing Jurgen Klopp as a “very good manager” and his side as “a machine” as they hunted down a first Premier League title.
The Reds were previously linked with Mbappe but Klopp said the forward was out of his club’s price range – and he provided a similar response amid talk of a move for Bellingham earlier this year, which he compared with a child asking for a Ferrari for Christmas.
While that is likely to still be the case, owner John Henry has said that he does expect some investment in the club as they aim to again compete with Premier League winners Manchester City.
