There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding Kylian Mbappe’s availability in 2020 or even 2021, so here’s what a transfer for the PSG star could look like from Real Madrid’s perspective.
It has been made abundantly clear that PSG forward Kylian Mbappe is Real Madrid‘s dream target. A deal for Mbappe seems completely out of the question this summer, with the situation unfolding around the pandemic making an ambitious 300 million euro swoop that much more illogical.
However, Real Madrid still seem to be targeting Mbappe for the 2021 summer transfer window, which has long been seen as the time to pounce. By then, Mbappe will only have one year left on his deal, assuming he doesn’t sign a lucrative extension before then.
And unless PSG are willing to lose the world’s most valuable player for free, they will likely relent to opening discussions around a deal, assuming Mbappe wants to head to Real. Based on everything we’ve seen, it seems like Real is Mbappe’s dream destination, where he would most likely be coached by the legendary Zinedine Zidane, who is very much a player’s coach.
There’s growing speculation that PSG could play hardball to such an extent that they would rather have Mbappe walk away for free in the summer of 2022 than sell him to Real Madrid. The strategy would be to hold onto Mbappe for as long as possible, in the hopes that winning a Champions League title – with Neymar presumably still in Paris – would convince him to stay in his hometown.
It’s a bold strategy, but given how frequently PSG have stiff-armed teams aside in the transfer market, such as Atletico Madrid with their interest in Edison Cavani this winter, it’s actually possible.
But let’s assume PSG will be a little bit more reasonable financially. Real Madrid would not oppose signing Mbappe, who will be the world’s best player by then, for free in 2020, but adding a player of his caliber for free seems like a pipe dream.
It’s more likely for PSG to finally relent in 2021 when Real starts pushing more aggressively. If Mbappe wants to join Zidane and Real by then and wants the challenge of being the big star at the Bernabeu in their quest for more dominance, there’s honestly nothing PSG can do to stop him. Because by then, he’ll have already turned down all their lucrative contract offers.
Predicting how the transfer market will look later in 2020 is difficult enough, but it’s just about impossible to guess what values will look like in 2021. But if Real paid 100 million euros last year for Eden Hazard with one year left on his deal, it stands to reason they’ll have to pay significantly more than that for Mbappe.
At least 150 million euros will be required for Mbappe, but 200 million euros might be pushing it, depending on how the market looks. PSG could ask for Vinicius Junior in response, but it’s impossible envisioning Real agreeing to part ways with such a talented young player, especially since PSG are under the hot seat with one year left on Mbappe’s deal.
Either way, it seems like Mbappe to Real Madrid has a great chance of happening, and it will either happen for free in 2022 or, more likely, at a steeply discounted price in 2021.