Confirmed – Kylian Mbappe to Man United set to be completed this week – 5 yr contract will be signed
Manchester United and Tottenham will be relishing the prospect of Kylian Mbappe’s gigantic move to Saudi Arabia as the Paris Saint-Germain star weighs up the biggest money transaction for a single player in the history of sport. The French star may not be interested in a move to either of the Premier League clubs after both United and Spurs registered their interest, but the domino effect from his mooted £259million switch could bring massive rewards for both clubs.
Reports suggest PSG have accepted the world record offer from Al-Ahli for the 2018 World Cup winner, smashing the previous record set by the French giants when they signed Neymar from Barcelona in 2017 for £190m (€222m)
Mbappe has been offered the chance to earn an eye-watering £172m (€200m) if he signs a one-year deal with the Saudi Pro League outfit, who are one of four clubs backed by the mega-rich Public Investment Fund (PIF).
As part of the deal, Mbappe would own his image rights and have the potential to earn up to £602m (€700m) by spending just one year in the Arabian Gulf.
It is expected he could then join Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 after agreeing terms to join them when his contract expires.
And with Mbappe set to snub interest from the Premier League and beyond, it would come as a disappointing but also unsurprising revelation that the PSG star is not keen on joining United or Spurs – but they could still benefit in terms of arranging their own transfers this summer.
The Red Devils are expected to sell Harry Maguire after he was stripped of the captaincy by Erik ten Hag, with the 30-year-old valued at around £50m by the club.
Most teams would baulk at such a price tag, especially given Maguire’s slight decline since his move to Old Trafford, but The Sun claim PSG are interested in the defender and would have no problem funding the deal.
The same would apply for Tottenham, who face the conundrum of whether to sell Harry Kane or keep their talisman for another season and risk allowing him to leave for nothing next summer.
The 29-year-old is unlikely to pen a new deal and chairman Daniel Levy would loathe to let him join a fellow Premier League club, while Bayern Munich are not prepared to meet his £100m asking price.
But for PSG, armed with financial muscle from the proceeds of Mbappe’s sale, would be able to swoop for the England captain by meeting their demands.
Whether Kane would be keen on moving to Paris is another question altogether, but it would represent the ideal scenario for Levy and the north London club, while Ten Hag would be overjoyed with selling his fourth-choice centre-back.
