Real Madrid make Man Utd target transfer ‘FAVOURITE’ amid Mbappe doubts

Robin Bairner

23 Sept 2023 14:23 BST
3 min read

Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid — © ProShots/FootballTransfers

Real Madrid are scouring the market for a striker to arrive in 2024, with PSG forward Kylian Mbappe still favourite to move to the Bernabeu.

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But with doubts emerging over Mbappe’s future, Los Blancos are also studying other options, with Brighton teenager Evan Ferguson now the “favourite” of president Florentino Perez, according to a report from Fichajes.

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Ferguson has four goals in five Premier League games this season, while he also netted six times in a 2022/23 campaign that proved to be a breakout for the 18-year-old Ireland international.

With Real Madrid having been reliant on Jude Bellingham for goals this season, Perez is “seriously considering” the addition of Ferguson as part of a long-term transfer strategy to secure the best young players in the world.

MORE: Real Madrid ‘dodged a bullet’ over €70m Chelsea transfer

Mbappe doubts growing?

Following the progress of the teenager is particularly essential for Los Blancos given that Mbappe’s future is unclear.

Although the PSG striker is out of contract at the end of the season, there is optimism at Parc des Princes that he might sign a new contract and therefore remove the prospect of a free transfer next summer that Real Madrid crave.

Ferguson, meanwhile, is a player in demand. TeamTalk cites reports in Spain that Man Utd are ready to launch a €57 million (£50m) bid for the player in the January transfer window.

Even if these are accurate, the prospect of Brighton accepting such a bid are virtually nil.

© ProShots - Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring against Dortmund

The Seagulls are not only building themselves to become a force in their own right, but they also have a reputation for negotiating hard over their players.

In the summer, they did not buckle under pressure to sell Moises Caicedo to Chelsea or Liverpool, using the fee Arsenal paid for Declan Rice as a benchmark for the €116m they ultimately got for the Ecuador international.

Similarly, having seen Manchester United sign Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta this summer for €75m, the Seagulls will likely use that as a starting point for negotiations over Ferguson.

Both United and Real Madrid have been warned.