Real Madrid have failed with a sensational £103million bid for Kylian Mbappe, the young Monaco striker, according to The Telegraph.
Mbappe has established himself as one of the best young talents in world football this season, and the most promising to emerge from France for some time. Having progressed through the Monaco youth system he made his debut in December 2015 as a late substitute in the 1-1 draw with Caen, in doing so becoming the club’s youngest ever player at 16 years and 347 days.
Despite still being relatively new to regular first team football, he has done enough in his 58 appearances since bursting onto the scene to suggest he will reach the very top of the game. He has been particularly impressive in the UEFA Champions League, scoring six goals in nine games, and his 15 league goals have helped Les Rouges et Blancs win the Ligue 1 title.
It is no surprise, then, that some of the biggest clubs in Europe have already been linked with his signature. Manchester City, Manchester United and Premier League champions Chelsea have already thought to have registered an interest, but according to The Telegraph, it is Spanish giants Real who have made the first move to secure the player by making a £103million bid.
Although this would beat the world record £89million United paid Juventus for Paul Pogba last summer, it wasn’t enough to persuade Monaco to part with a player who remains under contract for another two years. Indeed, the newly-crowned French champions are instead hoping to persuade the 18-year-old to sign a new contract and stay at least for another one year.
“The plan is to do everything so he stays a minimum one more year with us,” said vice-president Vadim Vasilyev. “He will definitely be one of the top players in the world. He has everything to succeed. He has the skills, the technique, the speed, the mentality, the competitive spirit. He has a great family who surround him. He has all the ingredients to be a world success.”
