Mbappe: Romano provides update after Enrique makes Real Madrid U-turn claim
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano insists “nothing has changed” over Kylian Mbappe’s imminent move to Real Madrid despite Luis Enrique’s comments on Saturday.
Widespread reports have claimed that Mbappe has informed Paris Saint-Germain that he will leave on a free transfer in the summer with Real Madrid believed to be his next destination after years of speculation.
Enrique: Mbappe ‘could change his mind’
But Enrique threw Mbappe’s situation into doubt again when he claimed that the France international “could change his mind” and remain at PSG.
When asked if Mbappe’s final chance to play in Le Classique – a match against PSG’s arch-rivals Marseille – on Sunday would influence his starting line-up, Enrique replied: “Why will it be his final derby?
“Me, I’ve always remained hopeful that Kylian could change his mind — he hasn’t said anything for now. He could change his mind.
“Imagine if we win four trophies this season and Kylian Mbappe decides at the last minute that he wants to stay in Paris. Why not, we will see.”
But now Romano has issued an update on Mbappe’s future and claims the PSG superstar “keeps advancing negotiations with Real Madrid”.
Romano wrote in his Caught Offside column: “Luis Enrique has spoken in recent hours about Kylian Mbappe, suggesting that the French superstar could still change his mind about leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his contract this summer.
“PSG play Marseille in Le Classique tonight, and Enrique questioned if it would definitely be Mbappe’s last appearance in this famous fixture, pointing out that the player has still not announced anything, so why couldn’t he change his mind?
“We’ve seen some fans reacting to this and getting the feeling that Mbappe has once again changed his mind about his future, and that he could now stay at PSG like he did in 2022, when he was also one step away from becoming a Real Madrid player.
“There is one crucial difference this time, however, as on that occasion Mbappe never communicated to PSG that he was going to leave the club. At that time, Mbappe decided to keep all his options open, but as I’ve reported multiple times, on this occasion it’s different as he has communicated his decision with the PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, as well as his teammates and other staff.
“Despite Enrique’s comments, I’m told that nothing has changed. From what I understand, Mbappe, nor anyone from his camp, has called PSG to inform them of a change of decision. There is no change there, and so PSG are continuing to work on their project for the future without Mbappe, while Mbappe keeps advancing negotiations with Real Madrid – no changes.
Romano: Everything is going in the right direction
“Of course, the reality is still that Mbappe has still not signed the Real Madrid contract, so it’s not a done deal yet. Everything is going in the right direction, as I’ve kept on saying, it’s all going extremely well. The salary will be in line with what Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham earn, while the signing-on fee will be more than €100m, to be paid over the five years of his contract.
“So, everything is more than advanced and everything is being prepared for Mbappe to sign for Real Madrid. Still, for him to announce in public that he’s joining Real Madrid would mean he has to sign the official contract, and that’s still not done. This might be why Enrique felt he could make those comments, but the truth is that there are no substantial changes at this point.
“To repeat – Mbappe has not communicated anything new to PSG, there are still no changes to report. Everything is still on track with Real Madrid, we’re just waiting for the contract to be signed to conclude this incredible saga.”
French football expert Jonathan Johnson has claimed that PSG are “definitely” interested in Liverpool winger Luis Diaz to replace Mbappe, who was also linked to Arsenal.
Johnson wrote in his Caught Offside column: “There’s been some recent speculation about Luis Diaz being a target for Paris Saint-Germain and my understanding is that the Liverpool forward is definitely a player that PSG are looking at as part of a wider shortlist of potential players to bring in this summer.
“Once they have the freedom to move without Kylian Mbappe being on their books any longer, then they will lower their wage bill and we’ll see how they move to replace Mbappe in attack. My understanding for now is that it’s not necessarily the case that Diaz is a priority target, but it’s more that they’re preparing for the possibility of looking at a player like him – he’s not the only player of that position or profile that they’re considering, but one of many they’re looking at.
“You could perhaps argue, being a Liverpool player, that Diaz is one of the higher profile names on PSG’s list, but if I’m honest I wouldn’t be so sure that that position will be a top priority for PSG this summer. I think they’ll look at other positions, most notably central defence and also defensive midfield.”