The Kylian Mbappe transfer saga continues to drag on, with all the parties involved looking for an inch of advantage regarding the signing of the French superstar. With Paris Saint-Germain extremely eager to offload their forward and Real Madrid adamant on not overpaying for a player they could buy for free in a year’s time, the push and pull over Mbappe has become the main story of this summer window.
![PSG are plotting revenge against Real Madrid, with Kylian Mbappe set to join the La Liga club.(AP) PSG are plotting revenge against Real Madrid, with Kylian Mbappe set to join the La Liga club.(AP)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2023/08/04/550x309/France-Soccer-PSG-Mbappe-0_1691145711293_1691145739074.jpg)
The Frenchman is disillusioned with life at PSG, with the team always in a state of chaos and not providing the environment to challenge with any seriousness for a Champions League trophy. Mbappe is seeking a move to arguably the most popular and successful club in the world in Real Madrid — but even if the deal goes through, PSG won’t be finished dealing with the Spanish club.
As per Sport in Spain, life after Mbappe is a big question for PSG chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and a route he thinks would serve the team well is to reinvest their earning from the Mbappe transfer into poaching some of Real’s players right back.
Madrid have created a high-quality young core over the last few years, and added to the midfield in particular with the 105 million euro signing of Jude Bellingham. However, PSG’s new coach Luis Enrique has demanded that new names be brought in through the door at the Parc des Princes, with rumours of Enrique already growing unsettled at the club also beginning to make the rounds.
According to Sport, Al-Khelafi has his will set on some young talents from Real Madrid, with up to 4 names on his shortlist. One of the richest clubs in the world with all the resources at their disposal, PSG would like to target Real Madrid right back in turn, with their eyes on Brazilian winger Rodrygo, alongside supremely talented French midfielders Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni. To round out the list, PSG are also interested in young prospect Nico Paz.
It is unlikely that Madrid would be willing to let go of any of the players above, save for the exception of one of their midfielders given the signing of Bellingham. Tchouameni and Camavinga are considered some of the foremost midfield talents in the world, but PSG could look to entice them with a return to their homeland.
With reports linking Marco Verratti to Saudi Arabia, and Lionel Messi having already left for Inter Miami, restocking with quality in the midfield could be key for PSG, with that being a problem position for the Parisiens. However, the transfer for Rodrygo would make less sense, with Ousmane Dembele recently joining from Barcelona: there is enough talent on the wings for PSG, who have often been criticized for over-investing in attack at the expense of team cohesion.
Madrid possess a large squad, but with veteran midfielders Luka Modric and Toni Kroos entering the twilight of their careers, they have ready-made replacements in Camavinga, Tchouameni, Bellingham, and Federico Valverde. This unit combines for the most fearsome midfield pack of any European team, one which president Florentino Perez wouldn’t want to compromise in pursuit of Mbappe.
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