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Real Madrid launched a € 160m ($ 188m) offer to sign Kylian Mbappe, which was immediately rejected by Paris Saint-Germain, multiple sources told ESPN.
Sources close to Real Madrid admit to ESPN that negotiations will be difficult, but they still hope to convince PSG to strike a deal before the transfer window ends on August 31.
Meanwhile, other sources in France suggest to ESPN that Madrid should increase the offer to € 200million ($ 235million) to have any chance of closing the signing.
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Mbappe’s contract at PSG expires next summer, and the 22-year-old has made it clear that, despite repeated representations from the club, he has no plans to renew it.
PSG thought the arrival of Lionel Messi could change Mbappe’s mind, but that did not happen.
ESPN reported last September that Madrid were setting the stage for a move for Mbappe this summer, but were being cautious to avoid angering PSG.
Madrid offered a clear strategy and were unwilling to take any action that would jeopardize a possible deal or the good relations between the two clubs. They were also waiting for Mbappe to signal that he thought it was time to move on.
Mbappe is the long-term No.1 target for Madrid president Florentino Perez, and the club have known for months that the forward was finally keen to take action.
Mbappe has come close to joining Madrid on several occasions in the past, going on trial at the club aged 13 in 2012 – posing for a photo with then-idol Cristiano Ronaldo – and almost choosing to sign with Madrid ever since Monaco in 2018 before choosing PSG instead.
After reluctantly accepting his desire to leave, the Parisian club have finally shown their willingness to negotiate, and the race is now on to reach a deal acceptable to all parties before the transfer window closes on Tuesday.
Madrid’s finances have been hit by the coronavirus pandemic, but due to careful financial management in recent years – they haven’t spent on a first-team addition since the summer of 2019 – and departures from this year, earning € 41million for Raphael Varane and € 40million for Martin Odegaard, sources told ESPN the club were able to make a suitable offer for Mbappe.
ESPN correspondent for Real Madrid, Alex Kirkland, contributed to this story.
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