MADRID: Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe appears to be heading for a move to Real Madrid, with excitement already building in the Spanish capital.
The 25-year-old France captain has informed PSG officials that he intends to leave in the summer when his contract expires, a source close to the Ligue 1 champions said on Thursday.
Madrid are in pole position to sign a player they have made several moves for in the past, only to be rebuffed, although they declined to comment when asked by AFP.
Spanish media are reporting that Madrid’s offer for Mbappe is lower than the one in 2022 when he decided to extend his contract with PSG, with Cadena SER saying he wants 50 million euros ($54 million) gross per season, along with a hefty 120 million euros per signing bonus.
With the numbers and financial impact of fair play for Madrid’s accountants to handle, supporters and local media are starting to dream of what may come.
“The countdown has begun,” wrote Madrid’s national newspaper Marca.
“Seven years later, everything points to Mbappe’s arrival as a reality from July 1.”
Mbappe had the chance to join Madrid from Monaco in 2017 but chose PSG instead, perhaps daunted by the difficulty of displacing Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale or Karim Benzema in attack.
He could now lead the line alongside Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.
“That would be perfect,” Luis Caceres, president of the Real Madrid fan club federation, told AFP.
“He’s the best player in the world, that’s undeniable. We’ve seen him play and we know what he can do, he’s a great player.”
Mbappe, who is yet to win the Champions League, could face Madrid’s record 14-time winner in this year’s competition.
Spanish newspaper AS said Madrid will remain “silent” about Mbappé while the two sides are still competing in Europe.
Last June, a Real Madrid fan managed to trick club president Florentino Perez into revealing something about Mbappe’s future.
Enrique Higueras, 22, bumped into the boss outside a restaurant and asked him if he would bring Mbappe to the Santiago Bernabeu.
“Yes, but not this year,” Perez replied.
Higueras, a sports science PhD student, told AFP he believed Mbappe would succeed if and when he arrived.
“I am sure he will play in Madrid and make history,” Higueras said.
“I don’t think Madrid need Mbappe to win the Champions League, but if Mbappe joins, the chances of winning that rare trophy will increase significantly.”
‘BITTERNESS’
However, some supporters still remember Mbappe’s disdain and perceived insults since then.
Oscar Movellan Martinez, a 42-year-old business consultant and self-described “huge fan” of Madrid, said he was unhappy that Mbappe was seemingly mocking Los Blancos after renewing his contract with PSG.
“What happened in 2022, I understand, because of the pressure the child received … in the media up to (French President Emmanuel) Macron,” Movellan said.
“What I didn’t like was the approach after… I understand that there might have been pressure on him to renew his contract with PSG when he wanted to come to Madrid, but I don’t understand his reaction.”
If Mbappe joins Madrid in the summer, it may take a couple of goals from PSG’s all-time top scorer to even things out.
“I think the fans at the Bernabeu will be a bit bitter at the start, but look – it’s a fan base that once even booed (Zinedine) Zidane,” Movellan added.
Others are cautiously choosing not to believe Mbappe will join until it’s official.
“Until I see him sign, I won’t believe it, after what happened in 2022,” Caceres added.
