August 27, (THEWILL) – Spanish giants Real Madrid have increased their offer to Paris Saint-Germain for their star striker Kylian Mbappe to €170 million, which comes up to about $200 million, to sway the Parisian outfit into sanctioning their attempts to bring the willing French forward to the Santiago Bernabeu.
It is the second big money bid that Real has put on the table and comes after their initial bid of €160 million bid, about $188 million, was considered unacceptable by Les Parisiens to cover for his absence in the new formation being undergone at Le Parc de Princes.
Although Leonardo Nascimento de Araujo, PSG’s Sporting Director directly admitted that Mbappe was looking to depart, the club’s stance was that any transfer for their striker “will be done under our conditions” and so far, they have not received any bid that satisfied these conditions.
However, Mbappe has only the final year of his contract left and that is the most pressing concern for the club after the 22-year-old turned down two fresh deals from PSG, bringing the very real prospect of a transfer to life.
This status quo makes an offer like Real’s €170 tough to dismiss especially as the likelihood remains that the Frenchman can leave for free, if allowed to ride out his contract, in much the same way as happened at Barcelona with Messi.
But, PSG claim that they have an understanding with Mbappe that reassures the club of a new deal should he remain for another season at Paris as he gave them the confidence that he will not leave for free. This is morale boosting for the French giants at they still have some transfer agreements that involve PSG paying Monaco based on agreements and bonuses when they brought Mbappe to PSG.
Yet, the increment of Real’s transfer bid shows that they are very much interested in taking Mbappe from PSG’s hands given that the player himself had shown interest in a move. And, Real, which announced a net profit of €874,000 from the 2020-21 season despite the strain the COVID-19 pandemic, is one of few clubs that can still command huge transfers.
As THEWILL reported, responsible financial decisions and the recent padding of the team’s bottom line with quality sales, that saw Raphael Varane leave Madrid to Manchester United for €41 million while Martin Odegaard returned to the Emirates as a permanent squad member for €35 million, have helped the club.
All of that has culminated in a situation that Real can comfortably add a marquee signing to their squad sheet even if it may appear overpriced by Les Princes as a way to deter suitors or to the keep him to play a season with Messi and Neymar.
Since Cristiano Ronaldo left, the team’s goal to remain competitive was shouldered by French striker Karim Benzema, who stepped in and began to shine having been liberated and freed to do exploits. It was clearer when he began scoring to the point of totaling 65 goals in La Liga in the first three seasons following Ronaldo’s exit.
However, the 13-time European champions still have not found a true replacement for the Portuguese star in terms of his impact on the pitch and the commercial value he provided for Real. There is a belief that Mbappe can unquestionably address both concerns squarely. That is why they are giving their opportunity to bring him as much as they can.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
