Real Madrid compete with Manchester City for their former World Cup hero

Real Madrid and Manchester City are two of the wealthiest clubs in the world, who both have the pulling power to attract the best talents. With this in mind, it comes as no surprise to see the two European superpowers battling it out once again in the transfer market.

Real Madrid compete with Manchester City for their former World Cup hero

According to a report by Fichajes, both Real Madrid and Manchester City will attempt to sign Achraf Hakimi from Paris Saint-Germain. The 25-year-old runs out of contract in the summer of 2026, however, he could be on the move with Europe's elite shortlisting him.

Achraf Hakimi was born in Madrid and played in the Real Madrid youth setup, before signing his first professional contract with Real Madrid Castilla. He was promoted to the first-team and spent three years fighting for his spot, including a two-year loan spell at Borussia Dortmund. Now, Real Madrid plan to go full-circle by bringing him back to his boyhood club.

However, Caught Offside state that due to Real Madrid looking to bring in Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain also, their financial situation might not allow for them to sign Hakimi, which would give Manchester City the edge in this deal.

Florentino Perez is not the kind of president to sit around and let his transfer aims be derailed. He will do everything in his power to compete with Manchester City to sign Achraf Hakimi.

He is a versatile full-back and one who showcased his talents in the 2022 World Cup. This competition was one for the history books as far as Hakimi and his country, Morocco, are concerned. They became the first African nation to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup, with Hakimi helping to knock out Spain in the buildup by scoring the winning penalty - In some style, as well.

Do you think Real Madrid will sign Achraf Hakimi, or will Manchester City pinch him?