The French superstar’s future has been the topic of great debate for some time, with the 25-year-old now into the final six months of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain and able to discuss terms freely with foreign suitors.
The battle to win over Mbappe had appeared to be a shootout between long-term admirers Real Madrid and his current club PSG, who have been keen to agree a renewal, despite a very public falling out over the summer which resulted in the forward being sent to train with a group of players termed the ‘undesirables’.
Liverpool, however, are the third club regularly mentioned in talk of Mbappe’s future – with a mutual admiration between club and player regularly reported.
According to Foot Mercato though, the biggest soap opera in football is now coming to an end as the 2018 World Cup winner “reached an agreement with Real Madrid a few days ago”.
The conclusion, if true, is a predictable one. Madrid and Mbappe have been flirting for several years, while the Spanish giants passed up the chance to sign a number nine during the last summer transfer window.
That report from France, however, comes in sharp contrast to a story from the Times, which claims that Mbappe is, in fact, still deciding his future and has been left “unimpressed” by Real Madrid’s attempts to force him into a corner with deadlines regarding a pre-contract agreement.
Instead, the former Monaco star “wants to explore other options — including a free agency switch to the Premier League”, Duncan Castles writes.
Meanwhile, in a third story form Marca, it is said that there is no urgency from Madrid, while Carlo Ancelotti’s side are actually not that desperate to land the man who finished third in the 2023 Ballon d’Or rankings.
Asked recently about his own future, Mbappe told reporters: “No. I’m very, very motivated for this year. It is very important. As I said, we have got titles to go after and we have already taken one. After that, I haven’t made up my mind yet. I have not made a choice.”
WHERE DO LIVERPOOL STAND?
Liverpool have long been the Premier League club most regularly touted as being in the race for Mbappe. However, unlikely that seems.
Last week, reporter Julien Laurens claimed that the Reds are a club that Mbappe ‘really, really’ likes, while the player himself once outed his mother as a Liverpool fan.
Anfield Watch understands that Liverpool would only entertain a move for Mbappe in the event that Mohamed Salah were to leave Liverpool this summer.
However, with the Egyptian in sparkling form in 2023/24 and open to agreeing a contract extension, the chances of a deal for Mbappe appear remote given the massive financial outlay involved in even a ‘free’ transfer.
The France captain reportedly earns over £1m a week under the terms of his PSG contract. By contrast Salah – Liverpool’s highest-earner of all time – is on around £350k a week.
