Kylian Mbappe has been advised by France legend Marcel Desailly to snub a move to Real Madrid and join a Saudi Arabian club instead.
♦ Mbappe heavily linked with Real Madrid move
♦ Desailly advises striker to head to Saudi Arabia
♦ Predicts he could earn €350m a year
WHAT HAPPENED?
Mbappe has long been linked with a move to Real and it is widely assumed the transfer will finally go through this summer, after a spell with Paris Saint-Germain that has seen the striker score 255 goals in 306 games. Desailly, though, has predicted that the World Cup winner could earn as much as €350 million (£301m/$376m) per season if he were willing to join Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane in Saudi Arabia.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Mbappe suffered another bitter disappointment with PSG on Tuesday as they were knocked out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage, losing to Borussia Dortmund. His move to Real has always been assumed, but Al-Hilal have shown interest in the past, and saw a bid worth €300m (£258m/$322m) accepted last summer, before Mbappe turned the offer down.
WHAT DESAILLY SAID
Desailly told Foot Mercato: “I recommend another continent. I’m not sure Madrid is the perfect place for him. As we have said, there is Vinicius Jr on the left, there are talented players like (Jude) Bellingham. He will not be the undisputed leader there, which is what he wants. He doesn’t want to say where he’s going to sign, he wants to have the announcement of a star, there must be something behind it.
“Technically, if we look at football business, I would go towards €350 million per year from Saudi Arabia. Come back the next season, that of the 2026 World Cup, a year later. You will only be 26 and a half years old and you will have played football. Because what does Mbappé want? To play soccer. This is what I feel as a businessman. I feel he can leave European football for a year to go to Saudi Arabia.
“And the Saudi championship is competitive. The stadiums are full and the channels are tearing up the matches. Saudi Arabia wants to promote its football like Qatar in 2005. I was one of the stars there. It’s a business on both sides and I think it would be a great opportunity for him to do business while continuing to play football.”
WHAT NEXT?
Mbappe and PSG have already won Ligue 1 but they must now complete the season with games against Toulouse, Nice, and Metz, before they face Lyon in the French Cup final. The showpiece could well be Mbappe’s final ever game for the club.