One French football expert has suggested that Liverpool could be an ideal destination for Kylian Mbappe if he were to come to the Premier League later in his career.
The future of the Paris Saint-Germain superstar has been in the headlines this week after it was reported that he wrote to the club to convey his intentions not to extend his contract beyond its current 2024 expiry (Sky Sports), prompting speculation that he could be sold this summer in order to avoid being let go for nothing.
However, the France captain took to Twitter to dismiss reports of him wanting to join Real Madrid as ‘lies’, insisting that he ‘will continue next season at PSG’, where he is ‘very happy’.
Mbappe’s future was discussed by Jonathan Johnson for CaughtOffside, and while the French football expert claimed that 24-year-old is likeliest to end up at the Bernabeu whenever he leaves Paris, he cited Liverpool as a ‘more realistic’ Premier League move than either Chelsea or Manchester United.
The journalist said: “Personally, if it was for me to pick a perfect destination for him in the Premier League, I think Liverpool would be a more realistic move [than Chelsea or Man Utd].
“Again, they’re not in the Champions League next season so it’s a non-starter for this summer, but they’re a club who’ve had a historical interest in him, so if they get back into the Champions League next summer, and are challenging for the Premier League again, that could potentially be an option for him again in the future.
“But overall, there’s no getting away from the overall feeling that the most likely destination for Mbappe at some point, whether it’s this summer, next summer, or a couple of years away, is Real Madrid.”
Firstly, let’s be realistic in acknowledging that, as it currently stands, Mbappe is highly unlikely to ever become a Liverpool player.
He earns a reported £1.19m per week at PSG, more than 33% of the Reds’ weekly wage bill and more than three times the £350,000 that our top earner Mo Salah takes home every seven days (Capology).
It seems implausible that FSG would shatter their wage structure to bring in the 24-year-old, no matter how phenomenal player he is and has been for several years.
Johnson has stated that, in any event, Real Madrid would be Mbappe’s ‘most likely destination’ after Paris, and Los Blancos have already scored a big win over Liverpool by signing Jude Bellingham, who the Anfield club ultimately deemed too expensive to acquire.
There have been claims in recent days that Salah has met with PSG president Nasser El-Khelaïfi (Sports Zone on Twitter), which may fuel speculation of the Egyptian possibly going to the Parc des Prices.
However, even if that does transpire and the Reds reap a vast transfer fee for the 31-year-old, it’s still difficult to envisage them outbidding the Bernabeu giants for the France superstar.
Nevertheless, for Johnson to talk up Anfield as a ‘more realistic’ Premier League destination for Mbappe than Chelsea or Man United is satisfying to hear, and hints at the strong standing Liverpool can still boast despite a disappointing 2022/23 season.
FSG can’t sign big players but they want the best.