16 February 2024 , 15:41
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Sir Dave Brailsford has admitted that Kylian Mbappe appears to have "his heart set" on a move to Real Madrid, having been quizzed on Manchester United's chances of signing him by two fans.
French superstar Mbappe has decided to leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer, with his lucrative contract coming to an end in June. Long-time admires Real Madrid are the clear frontrunners in the battle to secure his signature but alongside Premier League rivals Liverpool and Arsenal, United have also been tipped to throw their hat in the ring.
After stopping to meet a pair young supporters while sitting in the passenger seat of a swanky red jeep on Friday morning, Brailsford was filmed being asked: "Can we buy Mbappe?" The director of sport for INEOS - whose boss, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is on the cusp of officially becoming a 25 per cent stakeholder in United - then gave a telling response.
Smiling at the two lads after a brief chuckle and pause, Brailsford replied: "I think he's got his heart set on going to Real Madrid, hasn't he?"
The former head of British cycling doesn't seem to be wrong, with the La Liga giants already in negotiations over Mbappe's likely record-smashing move to Madrid. Real almost signed the 25-year-old forward back in 2022, only for him to perform a U-turn and put pen to paper on a new contract with PSG.
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Now that's set to expire on June 30, Mbappe is free to talk to other clubs. It's been reported that Liverpool have turned down the opportunity to sign the France captain due to his astronomical financial demands.
As for Arsenal, boss Mikel Arteta gave an eyebrow-raising response to speculation regarding his club on Friday. "Why not [sign Mbappe]?" the Gunners manager asked reporters.
Your turn! Should Manchester United attempt to sign Kylian Mbappe? Join the debate in the comments section.
Kylian Mbappe's time at Paris Saint-Germain is coming to an end (Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)"If we want to be the best team, we are going to need the best talent and the best players. I am not involved. Maybe [Arsenal technical director] Edu and the owners are, I'm not in those conversations until the last stage."
Then referencing Real being the favourites, Arteta added: "When there is a player of that calibre we always have to be in the conversation. But as you said it looks in a different way."
While Arsenal want to put the finishes touches on Arteta's squad to secure long-term success, United are looking at an overhaul. Brailsford is currently carrying out an audit at Old Trafford to see what specific issues need to be addressed by INEOS.