How Liverpool will line up with €300m Kylian Mbappe

Stuart Telford

• 27 Jun 2023 13:12 BST
• 4 min read

Liverpool are ready to break the transfer world record for Kylian Mbappe, according to Marca. How would the Reds line up with the Paris Saint-Germain star in their ranks?

Mbappe has been the subject of intense transfer speculation in recent weeks, with Real Madrid in the market for a Karim Benzema replacement and the player reportedly telling PSG that he had no intention of extending his contract beyond next summer.

Although Mbappe rejected such claims, he remains non-committal, and stands to earn up to €275 million in bonuses and signing on fees by seeing out his current contract before signing for Real on a free in 2024.

READ: Liverpool SHATTER world record with €300 MILLION Mbappe bid

PSG are understandably keen to cash in now given the circumstances, and with Real keen to sign him on free next summer, Marca claim that Liverpool are ready to pay €250m plus €50m in add-ons to sign him this year.

Liverpool with Mbappe?

If Liverpool were indeed successful in signing Mbappe, he would almost certainly demand to line up on the left of a three-man attack in Jurgen Klopp's preferred 4-3-3 formation.

Part of Mbappe's discontent at PSG last season was the fact he had to lead the line with Neymar and Lionel Messi occupying the deeper and wider positions in support of him. For France, Mbappe has Olivier Giroud to play off, and it is something he wants to replicate at club level.

READ: Why Mbappe has NO intention of joining Real Madrid this summer

And Liverpool have space there, as talented a player as Luis Diaz is, since Sadio Mane's €32m departure to Bayern Munich at the start of last season. Cody Gakpo now looks favourite to start up front ahead of Darwin Nunez, while Mohamed Salah's place on the right is assured.

Further back, Liverpool have signed Argentina World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton for £35m after missing out on Jude Bellingham, Mbappe's would be teammate bought from Borussia Dortmund for an initial €103m.

Liverpool are reportedly in the market for another midfielder, with Aurelien Tchouameni, Khephren Thuram and Manu Kone on their shortlist, but with Thiago fit again, Mac Allister signed and Trent Alexander-Arnold increasingly used a line further forward, the Reds suddenly look well-enough stocked in the position.

At the back, the rest of the team picks itself, even if the Reds have been linked to defenders like Benjamin Pavard and Goncalo Inacio, who could both provide further cover at centre-back.

Whether Mbappe could take penalties off Salah remains to be seen…