26 September 2023 , 08:31
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Real Madrid have a 70 to 80 per cent chance of signing Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe next summer, according to La Liga chief Javier Tebas.
Mbappe has flirted with the prospect of joining Real over the past few years and his PSG contract is due to expire in June 2024. The 24-year-old striker has been on Real president Florentino Perez’s wishlist for over two years and many observers expect him to finally leave PSG in the summer.
Real failed with offers of £137million (€160m) and £145.5m (€170m) in the summer of 2021 and Mbappe then came close to joining Los Blancos the following year on a free transfer. He had agreed to move to the Spanish capital but later dramatically backed out by signing a new deal.
There was yet more drama this summer, with Mbappe frozen out of the first team in pre-season after sending a letter to PSG to inform them he wouldn’t sign a new contract. He eventually made peace with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, but a move to Real is looming once again.
Asked about the possibility of Real signing Mbappe at the end of the season, Tebas told Movistar Plus: “Convinced, convinced, no. But it is a destiny for him, for sure. Next year it will be more than 70-80 per cent.”
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That tallies with Perez’s own admission over the summer after completing a deal to sign Joselu. Asked about a move for Mbappe in June, Perez told autograph hunters: “Yes. But not this year.”
PSG made it clear over the summer that their priority was to ensure Mbappe does not leave without a transfer fee. Al-Khelaifi has hinted that a new contract could be on the cards for Mbappe and there could still be more twists and turns in the saga.
Florentino Perez has been chasing Kylian Mbappe for over two years (Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Real Madrid finally sign Kylian Mbappe next summer? Comment below.
The French giants would certainly be unhappy to lose Mbappe to Real, who have angered them through their very public pursuance of the France international. "For the last two years, Real Madrid have been behaving like this, it is not correct, illegal even because they contacted the player. It is unacceptable for us, because it is not correct,” PSG’s former sporting director Leonardo said in August 2021.
Mbappe joined PSG from Monaco in September 2017 on an initial loan deal, which then turned into a transfer worth £166m (€180m). He has been a remarkable success in the French capital, scoring 220 goals and registering 98 assists in 266 games across all competitions. He has helped PSG win five Ligue 1 titles and three French cups, while they also finished runners-up in the 2019/20 Champions League.
Mbappe has been in typically excellent form this season, scoring eight goals in just six appearances. However, PSG have won only three of their six league games and sit third in Ligue 1.