'Real Madrid are obliged to sign Kylian Mbappe'

Tom Weber

• Updated: 13 Jul 2023 17:43 BST
• 3 min read

Former Real Madrid coach Vicente del Bosque believes that Los Blancos have an obligation to sign Kylian Mbappe.

The transfer saga surrounding the Frenchman still drags on. The player doesn't want to leave Paris Saint-Germain without collecting his massive loyalty bonus, while the French giants are desperate to offload Mbappe so as to not lose him for nothing next summer when his contract expires.

The two parties have been engaged in a public war of words with PSG chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi airing his frustration and disappointment at Luis Enrique's unveiling as new head coach, while Mbappe called the Parisians a 'divisive club' in an interview with France Football.

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Real Madrid, the team expected to swoop for Mbappe next year, have been keeping an eye on the situation without making a move. Los Blancos will refrain from making any advances unless PSG officially name their asking price.

The Spaniards are keen to avoid a situation like last year when it seemed that a deal to sign Mbappe was in the offing only for the 24-year-old to sign an extension with PSG, leaving Madrid with egg on their face after they had quite openly talked about the deal.

Madrid's obligation

It remains to be seen if Florentino Perez sticks to his word and refuses to be tempted by Mbappe's availability this summer or whether he will complete the transfer initially scheduled for next year. One thing is clear, however: Real Madrid will eventually try to sign Mbappe.

And this is exactly what they have to do, according to former Los Blancos boss Vicente del Bosque. The man who led Spain to a World Cup triumph and to European Championship glory has been giving free 'masterclasses' at the Edith Stein School in Madrid because his academy is cooperating with the Spain-China Football Exchange Association.

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According to AS, "Del Bosque told the kids several anecdotes about his career and motivated them to pursue their soccer dreams." When one of the children asked about Mbappe's Real Madrid move, the 72-year-old replied: "Madrid is obliged to sign the best players, and Mbappe is one of them."