Real Madrid have returned with an improved €180-million bid for Kylian Mbappe after their initial €160-million approach was turned down by Paris Saint-Germain, sources told ESPN’s Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez.
The second offer consists of a guaranteed €170-million fee with a further €10 million in add-ons that are apparently “easily achievable.”
Real Madrid reportedly appreciate that negotiating such an expensive deal late in the summer window will be difficult but remain hopeful of completing a transfer before Tuesday’s deadline.
PSG sporting director Leonardo admitted Wednesday that Mbappe “wants to leave” the Parc des Princes but said Real Madrid’s first bid was “very far” from their valuation.
“It’s less than what we paid for him in 2017,” Leonardo complained.
Though Los Blancos’ latest offer would cover the €180-million sum that PSG are committed to paying AS Monaco for Mbappe’s move to Paris four years ago, sources told Kirkland and Faez that PSG are likely to reject the bid as they want closer to €220 million for the 22-year-old forward.
Neymar’s transfer to Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona in 2017 remains the most expensive in the sport’s history at €222 million.
“I think our position is very clear, as Leonardo said yesterday,” PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said when asked about Real Madrid’s pursuit of Mbappe at Thursday’s Champions League group stage draw, as quoted by ESPN. “For Kylian, our position has not changed. Everyone knows it, Kylian knows it. Our position is very clear and honest.”
Earlier this month, Al-Khelaifi described PSG as the most competitive force in world football and said Mbappe has “no reason to do anything else (other than stay).” The club chief was speaking at Lionel Messi’s official introduction as a PSG player.
To strengthen their bid for an inaugural Champions League crown, Les Parisiens have also signed Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Georginio Wijnaldum, Achraf Hakimi, and Danilo Pereira this summer.
Mbappe is the final year of his PSG contract and has scored 133 goals over 174 outings for the club, scooping up three Ligue 1 titles, three Coupe de Frances, and other domestic silverware in the process.
