Kylian Mbappe: Real Madrid increasingly confident of signing forward for £145.6 million after positive talks with PSG
Real Madrid are increasingly confident of completing a deal to sign Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain before the transfer window closes on Tuesday.
Real and PSG held positive talks on Thursday following their second bid of £145.6m (€170m), and it is understood the deal is moving in the right direction.
Mbappe has told PSG, who turned down Real’s opening offer of £137m on Wednesday, it is his dream to play for the Spanish side.
The forward’s PSG contract expires at the end of the season and he has so far rejected the French club’s attempts to renew his deal.
If Real are unable to complete a deal to sign Mbappe this month, they will be able to sign a pre-contract agreement with the 22-year-old from January for him to join on a free transfer next summer.
Speaking on Thursday, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi discussed Real’s latest bid with beIN SPORTS, saying: “We’ve always been very clear… the situation, the position of the club.
“We’re not going to repeat it every time. You know our position, it has not changed.”
However, the Ligue 1 side’s sporting director Leonardo was more forthcoming on Wednesday, following Real’s first offer for Mbappe.
He told RMC Sport: “Kylian wants to leave, it seems clear to me. If Real Madrid makes an offer, it seems clear to me… I am taking a position that I think is clear to everyone.
“If he wants to leave, we are not going to hold him back, but it will be on our terms.
“Kylian always promised that he would never leave the club for free. That’s what he’s always told us.
“We have no plans to talk to Real Madrid again. The deadline is August 31 at midnight. That’s how the transfer window is, but we are clear about this: we want to keep him and extend his deal.
“But we’re not going to let him go for less than what we paid for him, when we still owe Monaco money.”
PSG signed Mbappe from Monaco in a €180m deal in 2018 after a season-long loan.
However, they have only paid €145m so far, with the rest due either when Mbappe renews his deal or when PSG sell him.
Mbappe has scored 133 times and made 63 assists in 174 games in all competitions since joining PSG and has helped them to 11 major domestic honours, including three Ligue 1 titles.
Real Madrid have incurred an estimated £257m (€300m) in losses due to the coronavirus pandemic and David Alaba, who joined on a free transfer earlier this summer after his deal at Bayern Munich expired, is the only addition to their squad so far during the current transfer window.
Meanwhile, PSG have signed Lionel Messi, Achraf Hakimi, Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Georginio Wijnaldum.
