Barcelona are reportedly planning to hijack Real Madrid’s deal to secure the signing of PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer in the summer.
According to French publication L’Equipe, Barcelona are considering making a swoop for Paris Saint-Germain and French forward Kylian Mbappe to sign him from under the noses of arch-rivals Real Madrid.
Mbappe’s time at PSG is close to ending as the 23-year-old will be out of contract with the Ligue 1 leaders in three months. And, a move to Real Madrid has been touted heavily. The Merengues have been pushing to sign the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner for a long while and even made massive bids last summer, only to see them get knocked back by Les Parisiens.
However, now that he will be available on a free transfer in the summer, Real Madrid have been touted as the favourites to sign Mbappe before next season. Indeed, reports have also indicated that an agreement has been finalised between the two clubs as Los Blancos look to freshen up things in their attack that is overreliant on Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior.
However, Barcelona are now plotting to throw a spanner in the works by attempting to lure Mbappe to Camp Nou on a free transfer. The Blaugrana are on the lookout for a marquee attacker who can fill the massive void left by the summer departure of Lionel Messi. Erling Haaland had been identified as the top target by the Catalans, but the Borussia Dortmund star looks poised to join Manchester City.
Barcelona are challenging Real Madrid for the signing of Kylian Mbappe, according to l'Equipe ? pic.twitter.com/QNx4DQZKHT
— GOAL (@goal) March 24, 2022
It has left Barcelona scouring the market for alternatives, and Mbappe has now emerged as a shock target for Xavi Hernandez’s side. The report states that the Catalan heavyweights believe that signing the 23-year-old could be a more feasible operation financially than putting together a deal for Haaland.
Mbappe, for his part, is yet to close a deal with Real Madrid as per the report. The former AS Monaco starlet will study all possible proposals that arrive before choosing his next destination – a decision that he will make based on the sporting project offered to him.
And Barcelona are hoping to lure him to Camp Nou and want Mbappe to speak to manager Xavi before he decides on his next move. It is also claimed that the Catalans believe they can offer him a lucrative financial package thanks to their recent sponsorship agreement with Spotify that guarantees an earning of €70 million per year and their €595 million loan from Goldman Sachs.
Mbappe is currently one of the best forwards in the game and will elevate the status of whichever team he decides to join. Real Madrid have put a lot of groundwork to try and sign the Frenchman for a while now. But Barcelona’s entry into the picture may complicate matters for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
