Paris Saint-Germain have already lined up their replacement for Kylian Mbappe, it has been claimed.
On Saturday, The Parisien claimed that PSG star Mbappe has decided to join Real Madrid when his contract expires this summer.
And ESPN has now claimed Mbappe has been offered a contract by Madrid and is expected to announce his decision to join the 14-time European champions next week.
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The France skipper has allegedly not informed PSG or Real Madrid of that decision.
Mbappe’s desire to play with France in the Olympic Games on home soil will reportedly be an important part of negotiations.
Having grown up idolising Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo, Mbappe will reportedly earn half of what he earns at PSG and has reportedly rejected a pay rise in Paris worth €72 million (£61million).
ESPN’s sources have claimed that by choosing to leave the club as a free agent, Mbappé will be opting out of bonuses that amount to around €100million (£85million).
As a replacement, PSG have allegedly identified AC Milan's Rafael Leao.
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The 24-year-old has endured inconsistent form this season, having netted just three times and claimed six assists in his 20 Serie A games.
However, Leao has been a talismanic figure for the Italian giants in the past few seasons, even winning Serie A’s Most Valuable Player award in the 2021/22 season as the club ended an 11-year title drought.
PSG reportedly have two scenarios prepared for next season - one that involved Mbappe staying at the club and one that didn’t. However, there had allegedly been a feeling around PSG for weeks that the 25-year-old would leave.
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Mbappe scored the opener in PSG's 2-1 win at Strasbourg on Friday night.
The player looked set to sign for Madrid in May 2022 until he made a dramatic U-turn and signed a new two-year deal at PSG.
But Mbappe’s relationship with the Ligue 1 side soured last summer after he told the club he would not be triggering a clause in that deal that would extend his stay in Paris until the summer of 2025, meaning he would become a free agent in 2024.
Topics: Football, Paris Saint-Germain, Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid, Transfers
Chris Byfield