REAL MADRID are considering Kylian Mbappe as an alternative summer target to Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Neymar, according to reports in Spain.
The La Liga giants have long been linked with ex-Barcelona attacker Neymar and reports have even suggested that Los Blancos are willing to pay a new world record fee to surpass the £198million PSG spent on the Brazilian last summer.
But Mbappe – with 19 goals and 17 assists in 40 appearances for the Ligue 1 champions in only his maiden year with the club – is attracting growing attention from Real, say Diario Gol.
Real came close to signing Mbappe last summer and were in advanced talks with the teenager, but he eventually opted to play in the French capital – where he was born.
But Los Blancos – who knocked PSG out of the Champions League this season with a 5-2 aggregate win in the last-16 – are now ready to go back in for Mbappe.
Both clubs are in action tomorrow night with PSG facing Caen in the semi-finals of the French Cup (8.05pm) and Real Madrid taking on Athletic Bilbao in La Liga (8.30pm).
And Diario Gol report that their ambition to pursue a deal for Mbappe is partly because PSG are under growing threat of facing sanctions from UEFA for their massive £350m-plus expenditure in the summer of 2017.
The Parc des Princes outfit recently denied any wrongdoing and insisted that reports they have failed to follow UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules are “deplorable” and “erroneous.”
While PSG have a compulsory clause to sign France international Mbappe this summer, the transfer is reportedly being looked into and any sanction could see the 19-year-old become available to buy in the coming market.
At least that’s according to Spanish outlet Diario Gol, who also add that Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City would be keen to rival Real for Mbappe’s signature as one of the few European clubs capable of financing such a high-profile move.
Mbappe sat on the bench as PSG secured a 7-1 win over his former club Monaco, whom they will pay £166m for this summer avoiding any UEFA-related hitches, to seal their fifth title in their last six years.
But while he missed out on their title-clinching success, he has played a major role in their success throughout the season and would be an ideal new star at the Bernabeu given his age and potential.
Real Madrid are said to be looking to reinvent their front-line with Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema both likely to depart.