Real Madrid Transfers: A price too steep for Kylian Mbappe

Financially, there may not be a cost too steep for Real Madrid in their pursuit of Kylian Mbappe. But there are few players who cannot be swapped if PSG ask.

Rumors of PSG asking Real Madrid for a star player as part of a swap plus cash deal for Kylian Mbappe are nothing new. Everyone knows how much Zinedine Zidane, Florentino Perez, and the fans want the club to sign Mbappe, who would single-handedly solve a number of major problems that prevent Los Blancos from truly being Europe’s best club.

Therefore, it stands to reason that PSG will ask for a high price. Vinicius Junior has already been floated around as a possible target for PSG sporting director Leonardo in a potential Mbappe deal, and it would make all the sense in the world for the Ligue 1 giants to want a young superstar forward heading back to them.

But now, Eduardo Inda stated on El Chiringuito, via Depor.com, that PSG want to acquire Thibaut Courtois from Real Madrid in exchange for Kylian Mbappe.

That is an offer Los Blancos will have to decline as forcefully as they can. I don’t mean to compare the two, but from Real’s perspective, it’s arguable that Courtois is more important to Vinicius despite Vini’s talent and youth.

Thibaut Courtois means too much to Real Madrid in goal

Because if this is a deal for Mbappe, Real will already have talented forwards if they have to trade one of Vinicius or Rodrygo Goes. They’ll have Mbappe, Eden Hazard, one of Rodrygo or Vinicius, Takefusa Kubo or Brahim Diaz, Karim Benzema, and Luka Jovic or Erling Haaland at striker.

But who will they have in goal? Andriy Lunin has huge potential and is one of the best goalkeeper prospects in Europe. Is he ready to start for a pressurized club like Real Madrid and fill the shoes of the Zamora Trophy winner? Absolutely not.

Courtois means everything to Real Madrid. Without his big saves and resiliency last season, they would not have won the title. Point blank. And this season, he has maintained his greatness, to the point where he is in the discussion for being the best goalkeeper in the year 2020. It’s the place he was at just before he joined Real from Chelsea.

PSG wanting Courtois makes a ton of sense. He would be their best goalkeeper in ages and would transform the team defensively. Yet that same benefit to PSG would come at a huge cost for Real Madrid. They must resist any offer that requires Courtois to leave the Santiago Bernabeu.