Real Madrid ‘not obliged to sell anyone to sign Mbappe’ in blow to Man Utd pursuit of ‘global star’
La Liga president Javier Tebas says Real Madrid will not be forced to sell any players to fund the signing of France captain Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe recently informed the Paris Saint-Germain hierarchy that he will be leaving at the end of the season when his contract expires.
He has been outstanding for the Parisiens, who paid around £150million to sign him from Ligue 1 rivals AS Monaco in 2018, a year after he joined on loan.
In 291 appearances for PSG, the 25-year-old has scored 244 goals and provided 105 assists.
There is obviously a lot of interest in Mbappe as his contract expiry nears but a move to Real Madrid feels inevitable, with some reports saying an agreement between player and club has been reached.
Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have all been linked with the French forward as well, although a move to the Premier League has never felt that realistic with the Spanish giants in the picture.
Mbappe – who was third in the top scorer rankings last year – might be a free transfer but he is still going to cost an absolute fortune.
It has been reported that the PSG superstar will pen a five-year deal at the Bernabeu with a £128m signing-on fee paid across the entirety of his contract, on top of an annual salary worth £12.8m.
That is the sort of price you have to pay for the best player in world football and it feels like a matter of time until Real Madrid officially announce the signing.
Given the massive figures involved in the prospective deal, there has been a lot of talk about Los Blancos having to sell one or two players to help balance the books.
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One player involved in these rumours is Vinicius Junior, who currently wears No. 7 – which Mbappe reportedly wants – and plays in the Frenchman’s position as a left-sided forward.
A recent report from Defensa Central has said Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to sign a ‘global star’ to help propel Manchester United back to the top and Vinicius is a player the new Red Devils over is willing to sign for £154m.
Unfortunately for United, though, La Liga president Tebas has said Madrid do not need to sell to sign Mbappe, a move that is “great news” for Spanish football.
“Of course, this is great news for Real Madrid and for Spanish football,” Tebas said. “He is one of the best players in the world.
“From my point of view, [Jude] Bellingham, [Erling] Haaland and Mbappe are the three dominant players on the planet, and two of them are at Real Madrid.”
Tebas continued: “Real Madrid is a club in an optimal economic situation.
“The president and the general director are very good managers, but they are very bad when they want to organize new competitions…. But they are not obliged to sell anyone to sign Mbappe, not at all.”
Tebas also discussed his relationship with Los Blancos president Florentino Perez, noting that he is happy for him that Mbappe is coming to the Spanish capital, but emphasised his dislike of the Super League proposal.
“He hasn’t spoken to me for three years,” he said of Perez. “But I’m happy that they signed Mbappe.
“And I take advantage of this interview to send him the message that I am delighted that Real Madrid makes this kind of signing to have an important team.
“The problem is not Real Madrid, but Florentino Perez and his personal vision. Every day there are more fans of the team who do not like the Super League.”
