Europe beware! Real Madrid are a serious threat for Mbappe and Haaland again

Robin Bairner

• 5 Aug 2021 09:33 BST
• 4 min read

Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland might have appeared transfer targets beyond Real Madrid in recent weeks, but the Spanish giants can now harbour genuine hopes of attracting such players to the Bernabeu in the near future.

It has been a complicated summer for Real Madrid. While they have lost iconic centre-back Sergio Ramos and, almost certainly, his partner Raphael Varane, they have been able to attract only David Alaba to the club.

The economic implications of the Covid-19 crisis had crippled the club’s ability to sign new talent, but all that could be about to change.

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Private equity group CVC has bought a 10% stake of La Liga worth a reported €2.7 billion.

This is set to provide a cash injection to each club. While it means that Barcelona will finally be able to put an end to the long-running saga of Lionel Messi’s contract, it means that Real Madrid, whose financial situation has not been quite as critical as that of their neighbours can begin to look seriously at bringing star players in.

Real Madrid serious transfer players once more

Mbappe, of course, is their top target. The World Cup winner’s situation with Paris Saint-Germain has not budged. He is out of contract next summer and there is apparently no new deal on the horizon. This injection of cash means that Madrid can offer Mbappe a more competitive salary than they might otherwise have managed.

Madrid might be the club of Mbappe’s heart, but with leading sides from the Premier League also monitoring, he might easily have been tempted elsewhere. If Los Blancos can offer him a decent salary and a worthwhile sporting project, though, his future would appear to lie in Spain.

Furthermore, there is the issue of Erling Haaland. The Borussia Dortmund striker is the hottest player on the transfer market currently. Aged just 21, he has been in prolific form for the 18 months he has spent with BVB and is wanted by virtually every top club around Europe.

While Chelsea, notably, have attempted to sign Haaland this summer, Dortmund have been unmoving, despite the striker having a minimum fee release clause in his contract that will come into force next year.

Although sources disagree on the exact value of that clause – it is variously reported between €80-100m – there is little doubting that such a figure represents an excellent valuation for a player who is set for a decade of superstardom.

Competition for Haaland will be intense next summer. It is easy to imagine that the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain will be to the forefront of that battle.

These sides might have hoped that a cash-strapped Madrid were out of the running, but with this latest injection of cash, they will also have a chance in the race.

Barcelona and Real Madrid were reportedly against the CVC buyout, but while the long-term ramifications for these sides are unclear, it has certainly bought them some valuable breathing room in the meantime – and that means stars like Mbappe and Haaland can once again be landed.