Real Madrid: How much would Vinicius Junior reduce Kylian Mbappe’s transfer fee?

Real Madrid will probably do whatever they can to sign Kylian Mbappe this summer, knowing full well that the operation will be exceedingly difficult. Chances are, Los Blancos will come up empty-handed in their quest to land the world’s most valuable player, but Florentino Perez knows it is his duty as president to do everything he can to make it happen.

That said, the phrase “everything he can” could create a bit of an issue. PSG will reportedly ask for 200 million euros in exchange for Mbappe, which, of course, Real cannot afford. Even if they sell everyone they can this summer, it may not be enough. And thus, the idea of swaps comes into play. We know PSG have a few players they’d be open to acquiring, but Real would slam the door on most of them, such as superstar goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Vinicius Junior is one name that gets tossed around more than others. He plays the same preferred position as Mbappe on the left wing, and Real already have Eden Hazard and Rodrygo Goes. So Vini, who interests PSG, could be the only option to reduce Mbappe’s price, though many Madridistas would not want to see such a talented player leave.

According to Tomas Gonzalez-Martin of ABC Deportes, Vinicius Junior is indeed the only player PSG are asking from Real Madrid in exchange for Kylian Mbappe. Gonzalez-Martin states that PSG’s asking price would be reduced by 60 million euros from 225 million to 165 million if the 20-year-old were included in the transfer.

PSG must first be realistic about how much Real Madrid could pay for Kylian Mbappe in this economy

Firstly, nobody is paying 225 million euros for Mbappe right now. There is not a single player in the world worth that kind of money during the pandemic. PSG know this, so they are just setting the price high. If Mbappe is available for transfer, then we know he has every intention of leaving Paris for Madrid on an expiring contract.

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So it is more realistic for the price to be below 200 million euros. How low? That depends on other factors, but it will not be above 200 million, I can say that.

Then the next issue is, does PSG really think Vini is only worth 60 million? If he is the only player they want from Real Madrid and the only player Real can realistically give, then, surely, they have to know they have lost additional leverage. Because not only can they lose Mbappe for free in this hypothetical scenario, but they must value Vini higher since he is the top target for them going in the other direction.

Vinicius is not at his best yet, but he has so much promise. Go watch what he did to Atalanta to see a glimpse of what he can do. He could be a superstar for PSG and would fit them very well.

Real Madrid including Vinicius Junior only makes sense if Kylian Mbappe becomes considerably more affordable

He should be able to reduce the price more significantly. If PSG think Mbappe is worth 225 million euros, then Real should tell PSG, “Well, we think Vini is worth 100 million.” Because they aren’t the only ones who can inflate the value.

Realistically, Vini could be used to turn Mbappe’s price tag from an unaffordable 180 million euros to a realistic fee under 150 million euros, perhaps between 100 and 120 million euros. The difference between Mbappe and Vini is not a magnitude of nearly four times, which is what PSG would have you believe from this reported 225/60 million disparity.

From Real’s perspective, the only reason why they would even entertain adding Vini to a deal is to significantly reduce the cost of Mbappe. Guessing exact prices is extremely difficult, especially based on transfer rumors that may or may not be true, but I do know that PSG must value Vinicius and his potential appropriately.