There’s a Mbappé-shaped void in the heart of the current PSG squad – and which player will be drafted to fill this void has been the target of significant speculation over the last few months.
PSG fans knew that this day would eventually come.
While many were resigned to this fact, it also felt like an unspoken agreement that if the club could lift the Champions League, there would be no malice when his inevitable move to Real Madrid came to fruition. Having left Paris without lifting the most coveted club trophy in Europe, the French captain has arrived at Real Madrid—the club that has won it more than any other.
Kylian To Madrid – Football’s Biggest Unkept Secret
For 18 months, gambling markets have seemed certain that the Bernabeu would be home to France’s prodigal footballing son. Kylian has made it no secret that Real Madrid was his favorite team, and they were one of the few teams, aside from PSG, that could afford his colossal wages.
Few players in the world have a profile big enough for people to bet on where they will be playing next season. As the internet transforms the gambling world, ushering in new ideas ranging from specialist next-player markets to casino gaming with Bitcoin.
Clearly, there are stark contrasts between the two gambling markets, but they have both flourished due to the widespread growth of online gambling. A Bitcoin casino gaming site works in the same way as traditional betting markets—it’s just that bettors use their crypto instead of traditional currencies.
PSG is one of a handful of European teams that have launched their crypto token. While these worlds might not have fully collided yet, the emergence of Bitcoin casino gaming and cryptocurrency in sports seem to be two markets that will continue to grow over the coming decade. Kylian signed a contract at the Bernabeu until 2029 and was paid a whopping nine-figure signing fee.
His unveiling attracted over 60,000 people to the ground, and his shirt sales were over 400% higher than those of his teammate and football superstar Jude Bellingham. Now that the transfer was complete, PSG started their quest to find their new attacking talisman, not just to replace him on the pitch, but to try and find a player with the same level of commercial appeal, a difficult task indeed.
PSG’s Potential Replacements
Social media is often awash with zany and outlandish football rumors. Many of these are entirely made up and written with the sole purpose of engagement bait. Some rumors that have been swirling around for months and circulated by reputable football journalists are the ones to pay more attention to.
Victor Osimhen seemed the nailed-on favorite to make his way to PSG this summer. However, following a bidding war that saw the French club and Chelsea both enquire about his services, the Nigerian has ended up on loan at Turkish club Galatasaray.
He recently stated that he didn’t know why clubs weren’t bidding $100 million for his services. While this isn’t the most humble remark to make about your own ability, there’s no denying that Osimhen is one player who could replace Mbappe and is probably the most likely name in the mix.
Other names strongly linked with big-money moves to PSG include Georgian superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – Osimhen’s old teammate at Napoli. While not an out-and-out striker, the Georgian is a phenomenal talent, and given that he’s still 23, he’s a player who has his best years ahead of him.
Some journalists have touted Haaland as a potential replacement pending the trial outcome of Manchester City’s 115 charges. Another Scandinavian striking colossus—Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak—has also been mentioned in the mix.
Final Thoughts
The problem with replacing a generational talent like Kylian is that he brings an international brand and appeal essential for a club looking to break into the true European elite.
He’s been the face of multiple FIFA video games and scored hat-tricks in World Cup finals—there’s a good case that he’s the heir to the throne now that Messi and Ronaldo are both in the twilight of their careers. Replacing a player like that is an enormous task, especially considering PSG did not receive the sort of fee they would have done if he was still under contract.
Luckily for the French club, they have colossal financial muscle at their expense. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see any of the players we have discussed today end up at the Parc Des Princes, apart from possibly Haaland. But players like Osimhen, Isak, and Kvaratskhelia are the sort of names you’d expect to see strongly linked with a move when the next transfer window opens in January.
A lot can happen between now and then, and whoever PSG decides to replace Kylian with, there’s no denying it’ll be at the top of all the footballing headlines, whether it happens in January or they wait for the summer.