Manchester City are said to be determined to beat Real Madrid to the signing of Kylian Mbappe, with the Paris Saint-Germain striker potentially available on a free transfer next summer.
While the transfer window is now at a close, talk regarding the Frenchman’s future has not yet settled down, with the World Cup winner still at the centre of speculation after failing to commit his future to the Ligue 1 side.
With less than 12 months remaining on his existing deal, the 22-year-old could well sign a pre-contract agreement with any interested foreign side as early as January 1st, with the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid having been heavily linked with his signature in recent years.
Los Blancos president Florentino Perez has seemingly made it his mission to sign the young starlet and was reportedly keen to do the deal this summer, yet saw a bid of €180m sensationally rejected by the Parisien side, having already had a previous offer turned down.
Quite how the cash-strapped La Liga giants would have financed that deal is unclear, although they will hope that their concrete interest this summer has put them ahead of the chasing pack when the player becomes available next summer, having had a long-standing interest in the former Monaco man.
According to the Mail, however, Madrid could be rivalled in their pursuit of the player by Premier League champions Manchester City, with owner Sheikh Mansour issuing a ‘mandate’ to sign the striker ‘at any cost’.
Having missed out on a move for Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane over the summer, it is believed that City have turned their attentions to Mbappe to fill their centre-forward void, the club having seen Sergio Aguero depart for Barcelona at the end of last season.
While they romped to the title last term without deploying a recognised centre-forward for much of the campaign, it is expected that they will be in the market for a striker next year.
Although he can also play on either flank, Mbappe would offer the prolific presence up front that the club is after, having netted 95 goals in just 114 league games for PSG since joining the club, initially on-loan, in 2017.
City have also been linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund starlet Erling Haaland, with the Norwegian striking machine potentially available for as little as £68m, owing to a release clause in his current contract.
