Real Madrid planning to sign Haaland AND Mbappe in 2024

FT Desk

• 15 Oct 2022 16:45 CDT
• 3 min read

Real Madrid's transfer ambitions next summer will not stop at Kylian Mbappe.

The Paris Saint-Germain star was long linked with a free transfer to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu last season, only to eventually sign a fresh deal with his current club.

That change of heart provoked outrage in Spain and even threats of legal action from La Liga, who accused PSG of flouting Financial Fair Play rules in order to hold on to their star.

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Mbappe, however, is said to be less than happy with life at PSG just months after putting pen to paper on an extension, raising Madrid's hopes that he will pick them as his next destination in 2024.

The France international may not be the only superstar heading to the Bernabeu next summer either.

According to AS, Madrid are also preparing to make a serious bid for Manchester City star Erling Haaland.

The Spanish outlet maintains that Haaland holds a buy-out clause in his contract worth €180 million, a daunting but not insurmountable obstacle for the Merengue.

It remains to be seen whether the striker himself would be interested in a move as he continues to take the Premier League by storm in his debut season at Manchester City.

How can Madrid afford star duo?

With the likes of Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos all in their 30s, Madrid see the need to renovate a squad which has achieved unparalleled European success over the last decade but may soon start to show its age.

That they can even consider splashing out for the young strike pair speaks volumes of the club's financial strength, particularly in light of the struggles arch-rivals have suffered in recent seasons.

Madrid reported profits in each of the last three seasons in spite of the economic ravages caused by Covid-19, and according to its own balances reduced net debt by a whopping €310 million in the 2021-22 season.

The club's salary cap for the current term came to €683.5m, a figure significantly higher than that of Barca's even after the Catalans' leveraging of several long-term assets in order to finance their summer spending spree, meaning that they are more than capable of landing Mbappe and Haaland if the opportunity arises.