Opinion: How PSG Could Improve By Selling Mbappé to Real Madrid

It’s official. Real Madrid presented Paris Saint-Germain with an offer of €160 million for Kylian Mbappé as confirmed by journalist Fabrizio Romano on Tuesday.

The report goes on to say that Mbappé has turned down more than three contract extensions from PSG and that the 22-year-old forward wants to join Real Madrid either this month or next summer on a free transfer.

The first thing that came to my mind when I read the news is that we may never see Mbappé, Neymar Jr., and Lionel Messi on the pitch at the same time. The second was, PSG really turned down €160 million for a player in the last year of his contract! That has to be some kind of record.

If the report is accurate, and I’m inclined to believe it is as Romano is very reliable, then Mbappé won’t be wearing a PSG shirt for much longer. Most sensible supporters knew this though. Mbappé was never going to spend his entire career in the French capital.

For Nasser Al-Khelaifi, PSG’s president, and Leonardo, the club’s sporting director, they have an important decision that will undoubtedly send shockwaves throughout the world. If they refuse to sell, which is the most likely outcome, PSG will have the most feared attacking trident in Europe and could very well win the UEFA Champions League. That’s always been the goal, so this is a very good outcome.

However, could PSG sell Mbappé and actually get stronger and more well-rounded as a team? Well, that depends on how much work behind the scenes the two executives have been doing in recent weeks.

Let’s assume PSG accepts Madrid’s offer of €160 million for Mbappé. Could that money be spent on Eduardo Camavinga (€30 million) or Paul Pogba (€75 million-€100 million) to strengthen the midfield? Say PSG opts for Camavinga and then targets Harry Kane or Robert Lewandowski to replace Mbappé’s goal production, you could argue PSG is either just as good as before or maybe even a little better.

Then there’s the left-back position, perhaps the biggest question mark about this PSG team. It’s been reported that Theo Hernandez will remain at AC Milan, but Nuno Mendes of Sporting CP could be a viable option.

If PSG can turn Mbappé into Camavinga, Kane, and Mendes, or Pogba and Lewandowski, or any combination of these players, I will personally fly to Paris, pick Mbappé up, and drive him to the airport. I’d even let him pick the music. It’s not that I don’t think Mbappé is a once-in-a-generation player, it’s that he doesn’t want to be in Paris long-term and if the club can flip him in the last year of his contract for players that can replace his output, it’s a no-brainer.

The problem with this plan is that there are only a few days left in the transfer window. Could PSG sell Mbappé and complete multiple mega-complicated signings before midnight on August 31? It’s highly unlikely and that’s why selling Mbappé really depends on how much work Al-Khelaifi and Leonardo have done up until now. If agreements are in place, perhaps they can pull off the unthinkable.

Whichever way this shakes out, PSG supporters are the winners. If Mbappé stays, I expect him to be professional and perform at the highest level (if not, he can train with the reserves like Adrien Rabiot). The team as currently constructed is easily the favorite to win the Champions League. If PSG sells Mbappé and replaces him with several world-class players, the Champions League is still in sight.

As far as Mbappé’s decision goes, I don’t buy the excuse that he wants Real Madrid because it’s his “childhood dream.” He could have gone there in 2017 but chose to remain in France. Also, when Mbappé was growing up, PSG wasn’t at the level they are now. If he’s still fixated on a “childhood dream,” it tells me that Mbappé is incapable of assessing the current situation as an adult and realizing PSG is the better sporting project right now. If you ask me, this comes down to his desire to be in the spotlight and not having to share it. He wants all of the praise when his team wins major titles and ultimately, he wants the Ballon d’Or. It’s hard to imagine any of that happening at PSG and for me, that’s why he’s leaving.

Tags Eduardo Camavinga Harry Kane Kylian Mbappé Leonardo Nasser Al-Khelaifi Nuno Mendes Paul Pogba PSG Mercato Real Madrid Robert Lewandowski

3 Comments

  1. I would have say “cash in now”

    For a player like him leaving for free would be mistake for the club.

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