Real Madrid line up Man City star as ‘IDEAL’ Mbappe alternative

Robin Bairner

11 Sept 2023 07:05 BST
3 min read

Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland, Man City, 2023/24 — © ProShots

Real Madrid are not taking it for granted that PSG attacker Kylian Mbappe will sign for them next summer and are eyeing up potential alternatives should a move for the France international star fail.

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Mbappe has been in dispute for PSG for much of the summer after he failed to take up an option in his contract that would have seen his deal extended until 2025.

As such, he is presently due to become a free agent next summer – a fact that prompted PSG to freeze the player out of their first-team plans for a period before welcoming him back to the fold in the middle of August.

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While the situation remains on a knife edge, relations have thawed and there is now a prospect of Mbappe signing a new deal with PSG.

Real Madrid have registered all this and appear braced for the worst-case scenario from their perspective of the 24-year-old penning a fresh contract at Parc des Princes.

MORE: Real Madrid consider SHOCK move for Barcelona transfer target

© ProShots - Pep Guardiola, Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez

Real Madrid targeting Alvarez

Fichajes reports that Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez will be considered as an alternative should Mbappe reject the chance of playing for Real Madrid once more.

According to the Spanish source, Alvarez being consigned to a secondary role behind Erling Haaland has led to doubts over whether he wishes to continue with Pep Guardiola’s side.

He is, meanwhile, said to be the “ideal” player to fit in at Real Madrid.

The performances of the 23-year-old have been strong, but while he has made 55 appearances in all competitions since joining the club in the summer of 2022, almost exactly half of these have come via the role of a substitute.

Under contract until 2028, Alvarez is not thought to be an easy task for Los Blancos, with the player not having expressed any disquiet about his situation and Man City having given no hint that they are willing to sell one of the best backup players in world football.

Alvarez has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €40 million, which is likely to be the least Real Madrid will have to pay to prise away a player who would surely have a higher rating if he were given more game time.