- 7 hours ago
Mbappe told to reject Real Madrid and make €350m move by former Chelsea star
Kylian Mbappe has been told that Real Madrid is not the ideal club for him after his PSG side were dumped out of the Champions League by Borussia Dortmund.
Luis Enrique’s side were defeated 1-0 on the night by the German side at Parc des Princes, despite having over 30 shots, and with Mbappe’s contract up at the end of the season, the probability is that he will leave the Ligue 1 side.
The Bernabeu is expected to be his destination, with Real Madrid having long coveted the 25-year-old France star, but former Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly has said that Mbappe would be wise to consider another career path – and not one many would take.
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Speaking to BeIN Sports, he said: “I’ve said it already, I would move to a different continent. For him, I’m not sure Madrid is the perfect place for him to be.
“We have Vinicius on the left side, a player showing the quality like Bellingham so he’s not going to be the full number one that he wants.
“He’s not announcing where he’s going and even though he wants to keep it and announce it like a star there must be something behind it, a surprise.
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“If you think about the business of football, for €350 million I would go to Saudi for a year, then come back next season – the year of the World Cup – aged 26 and a half, cash out and play football because what does Mbappe want? He wants to play football.”
Mbappe was offered a world-record sum to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal last summer when in dispute with PSG but turned the offer down.
A business decision for Mbappe
Desailly, who made over 150 Premier League appearances for Chelsea between 1998 and 2004, was probed about his statement but doubled down on the claim.
“This is what I feel and what I think as a businessman and looking at the business side of things,” he said.
“It’s still competitive in Saudi... broadcasters are coming in to show the matches around the world.
“They are doing what Qatar did in 2004 or 2005 and I went there to promote and expose the country.
“It is a business on both sides and I do believe that this could be an opportunity for him to make more business and play more football after the Euros.”