Have Real Madrid set a ridiculously low spending cap on Kylian Mbappe?

Real Madrid have set Kylian Mbappe as their top transfer priority for the next two summer windows, but they need to be prepared to spend big.

There are always so many contradicting transfer rumors floating around, but here’s one on Real Madrid‘s policy on a Kylian Mbappe transfer that I’m not quite buying.

So some background. Los Blancos have identified Mbappe as their top transfer target for over a year now. He is the Galactico and the missing piece who can take this club to great heights, as they need a goal-scoring wide forward. They did not spend any money this summer during the financial crisis specifically so that they could afford to sign Mbappe, as PSG will ask for ever possible penny for the most valuable footballer in the world.

Yet according to a report from Fermin de la Calle for Eurosport, Real Madrid and Florentino Perez have set a spending limit of 120 million euros on Kylian Mbappe next summer, because they believe they can sign the PSG superstar for free that following summer.

I’m not buying this stance for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there is absolutely no guarantee Mbappe leaves PSG for free. That’s not a game Los Blancos want to play.

Real Madrid cannot risk insulting PSG or Kylian Mbappe with low offers

Secondly, Real has been prepared for quite some time to pay whatever is necessary for Mbappe. Why on earth would PSG sell Mbappe for less than they bought him for when they were specifically willing to do that with a player who did not enhance his value nearly as much in Neymar?

And thirdly, if Real Madrid tell PSG that Mbappe is only worth 120 million euros to them, then what message does that send to Mbappe? That tells Mbappe that his dream club doesn’t value him as much as he thought they did or as much as everyone else seems to. And he could either stay at PSG or Real could get outbid with ease by another big club like Liverpool, who cannot be underestimated in this transfer battle.

Los Merengues have set Mbappe at the top of their wishlist to a degree that they need to do whatever they reasonably can to sign him. The financial situation is tough, but, surely, Real can afford to spend closer to 200 million euros on Mbappe than 120 million.

And if they can’t, that means Real must add in a player like Vinicius Junior or Rodrygo Goes to offset the cost. That could become the big question for Real and PSG when transfer negotiations inevitably heat up in the next several months.