Will Kylian Mbappe ever make the move to Real Madrid?

When Real Madrid target a player, they tend to get their man, even if they have to wait. They had to wait to lure Eden Hazard to the Santiago Bernabeu, trailing the Belgian for a number of seasons before eventually signing him from Chelsea last summer. This track record suggests to many that Kylian Mbappe will one day play for the club.

Real Madrid’s interest in the French forward is thinly veiled. Zinedine Zidane is widely believed to be a huge fan of Mbappe, although at this stage who isn’t given his undeniable status as one of the best forwards in the European game at this moment in time?

As if he needed to, Mbappe reminded us all of his quality in coming off the bench for Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League quarter final against Atalanta, turning around a match which looked set to send the French side crashing out of the competition in humiliating fashion.

It was the sort of performance that only bolstered further the widespread belief that Mbappe is the sport’s next great superstar. And the sort of display that surely had Zidane along with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez dreaming of seeing the Frenchman in all white at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Until the global coronavirus pandemic struck, it seemed likely that Real Madrid would make their move for Mbappe this summer. The forward’s PSG contract ends in the summer of 2022 and reports have consistently stated that he is putting off signing an extension, keeping his options open as long as possible.

Now, though, noises are coming out of the Santiago Bernabeu that Real Madrid won’t have much money to spend this summer. Any transfers they do make will have to be funded by the sale of players already on their books, perhaps explaining why Los Blancos accepted an offer of €40 million from Inter for Achraf Hakimi earlier in the summer.

It appears highly unlikely that Real Madrid will be able to raise the funds required for a move for Mbappe and so the Frenchman is expected to stay at PSG for at least another season. Many believe it is his destiny to one day become a ‘Galactico,’ but another summer looks set to come and go with the French forward still not pulling on the famous white shirt.

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Real Madrid should target Fab Four

The chairman of Real Madrid Florentino Perez has a clear vision of what the team, which after a two-year break managed to return to the top of La Liga, should look like in the future.

The changes in the club are expected to start with the departure of players who are no longer in the plans of manager Zinedine Zidane. Achraf Hakimi has already been sold to Inter, Borja Mayoral is on his way to Lazio, and a similar fate awaits Luka Jović, James Rodriguez, as well as Sergio Reguilón and Dani Ceballos who are currently on loan at Sevilla and Arsenal.

The more interesting part of the story are the players that Perez is determined to bring in the next two years.

The top priority for several years now is striker Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman has a contract with PSG until the summer of 2022, but Perez will be prepared to break the bank, and it is only a matter of time before the 21-year-old moves to the Santiago Bernabeu. Mbappe himself has stated that if he would leave Paris it will only be to Real.

Mbappe’s goal-scoring talent has no limits and Zidane has made no secret of his admiration for his fellow compatriot, who has an impressive record of 30 goals and 17 assists across all competitions for the French champions this season.

With the potential arrival at Real, he would be given the freedom on the pitch, regardless of whether he would play as a central striker or next to fellow Frenchman Karim Benzema. Given his youth and potential, Mbappe at Real would develop into a player who, along with Messi and Ronaldo, would be mentioned when discussing the best footballer of the world.

Alongside Mbappe in Madrid’s frontline, Perez sees Erling Haaland who became one of the brightest stars in Europe, after his recent displays with Borussia Dortmund. The 21-year-old Norwegian scored 13 goals in 15 matches for the the Black and Yellows when he arrived from Salzburg, where he had scored 17 goals in 16 games. If Real manage to unite Mbappe and Haaland in their frontline, they would create the most dominant attacking duo for the next decade.

In the midfield, besides Modric, Zidane wants Eduardo Camavinga. The Angolan-born player had a great debut season for Rennes, where he played 32 games, attracting the attention of many European clubs.

Probably the first player to be signed this summer though is Monaco’s defender Benoît Badiashile. Real is ready to immediately pay the required 40 million euros to the Monegasques.

If Perez manages to bring these players and unite them with the experienced teammates,  in the next decade Real would be a favourite in all competitions.

Liverpool remain a force in the Champions League

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Anyone who thought that Liverpool’s march to Kiev last season was a flash in the pan will be eating their words after their performance against one of the favourites in the competition, Paris Saint-Germain.

A final score of 3-2 doesn’t really tell the whole story because the Reds were on top for long periods. With Anfield in full voice, European nights don’t really come much better than this. Continue reading

Which players have announced themselves this World Cup?

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The World Cup is notoriously a tournament in which new stars can often emerge or firmly establish themselves as someone deemed eligible for the upper echelons of world football.

With us on the brink of hitting the quarter finals of the tournament, we’ve taken the opportunity to look at some of those building a reputation in 2018

Kylian Mbappe, France

Whilst the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi failed to drag their sites through from the round of 16, Mbappe was the man of the hour when his side needed a star to save the day against Argentina. Continue reading

Round 38 – Ligue 1 player picks

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With an intriguing Ligue 1 season set to  draw to a close, we look at the players we believe could make an impact on the final round of games.

Anthony Lopes, Lyon – 63 points

Lopes has had a strong season over the 2017/18 campaign and he will be disappointed to have conceded three last time out.

The French-born Portuguese keeper will be hoping to add to a haul of 14 clean sheets across the campaign as his side target second place.

Kamil Glik, Monaco – 60 points

Glik has secured an impressive 13 clean sheets this season for a Monaco side that Continue reading