Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has voiced considerable interest in acquiring young budding star Kylian Mbappe from AS Monaco. Mbappe has burst on to the scene this season with 12 goals in Ligue 1 and 2 goals in the Champions League. Ben Sundock tells you why Real are determined to sign this 18 year-old.
Reports from Spanish media outlet, AS have indicated that Zidane has been in hot pursuit of his fellow countryman for a few years now and that hasn’t changed this season. Especially with the way Mbappe has played this year for AS Monaco.
With 12 goals in 22 appearances in Ligue 1, Mbappe has caught every soccer fan’s attention with many comparing the still teenage striker to the great Thierry Henry with his dribbling abilities and scoring prowess.
The young prodigy also scored 1 goal in both legs of Monaco’s Round of 16 match up with Manchester City, helping the French side knock off Pep Guardiola and company to advance to the quarterfinals.
The rejuvenated pursuit of Mbappe comes just days after French national team manager, Didier Deschamps, called Mbappe up to the first team squad for the first time in his career, solidify this season as his true break out year.
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However, Real Madrid have been interested in Mbappe much longer than this season as Zidane brought the then 15 year-old Mbappe to tour the Valdebebas training ground where the team trains.
Mbappe came and met with Real Madrid representatives back in 2014, when Zidane was on the staff of then manager Carlo Ancelotti.
The young striker said of the call he received from Zidane that year, “I was like a wide-eyed kid when Zidane, France’s greatest-ever player, called me.”
Despite making the trip and meeting with team officials, and meeting his childhood hero Cristiano Ronaldo, Mbappe claims, “I didn’t go to Madrid because I didn’t want to leave my country at such a young age,”
After spending two years in the Monaco youth development academy, Mbappe played one season, the 2015/2016 season with Monaco B making 12 appearances before being called up to the senior squad the same season, appearing in 33 games since the fall of 2015.
Real Madrid will have a tough task ahead of themselves if they want to acquire Mbappe’s signature, as the asking price has been set at €80 million according to the Monaco president, Vadim Vasilyev, who has ademently denied all rumors of a possible departure by Mbappe this summer.
Our intention is to keep him here,” he said in an interview earlier this week. “He is a product of our academy.”