Kylian Mbappe told PSG this week that he will leave the club at the end of the season; Real Madrid have been strongly linked with the 25-year-old Frenchman; Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says the Gunners have to be involved in the conversation to sign Mbappe this summer
Wednesday 28 February 2024 13:19, UK
Mikel Arteta says his Arsenal side have to be in the conversation to sign PSG forward Kylian Mbappe this summer - but acknowledged that the Frenchman is likely to join Real Madrid.
Mbappe told PSG this week that he will leave the club at the end of this season, with the French club expecting the forward to join Real once the terms of his exit are finalised.
The 25-year-old forward has also been linked to the Premier League and Arteta says Arsenal need to be involved in discussions to sign the player.
"When there is a player of that calibre, we always have to be in that conversation," he told his pre-match press conference against of Saturday's trip to Burnley.
"But it looks in a different way, that's what I would say..."
Arsenal were strongly linked with a new striker in the January transfer window - with Brentford's Ivan Toney one of the names mentioned as an option.
The 28-year-old opted to stay at Brentford until the end of the season, though Bees boss Thomas Frank admits a summer sale of Toney is likely.
PSG and Mbappe - who is out of contract this summer - still need to negotiate whether Mbappe will leave for a fee or sacrifice his own earnings. PSG have Mbappe's word that he will never leave on a free transfer.
Real Madrid hold a long-term interest in the 25-year-old forward, who would have to take a pay cut to join the Spanish side, even though they are prepared to make him the highest-paid player in their history.
PSG turned down a €220m (£188m) offer for Mbappe from Real Madrid in August 2021. The forward then chose to sign a new three-year deal with PSG that expires this summer.
If Mbappe were to extend his deal by a further year, PSG would value him at €150m (£128m) in the upcoming transfer window. They accepted a €300m (£256m) from Saudi club Al Hilal last summer, which Mbappe turned down.
Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol:
"Mbappe costs PSG an absolute fortune, in the region of £180m a year when you factor in his wages and bonuses. There's a sense of relief that this whole circus is going to be over and their future is going to move in a different direction.
"Everybody knows Real Madrid want to sign him. He's been in talks with the for a long time because since January he's been able to talk to other clubs as he's out of contract this summer.
"Our information is, Real are prepared to make him the highest-paid player in history but there is no way a club even as big as Real can afford to pay him the kind of money he was earning at PSG."
7 - Datawrapper - Career recordSpanish football expert Alvaro Montero:
"Inside the club, everyone is positive, especially Florentino Perez and Jose Angel Sanchez. They are the ones who know what is going to happen. They believe in March or April that Mbappe will tell the club - not publicly - where he is going to play.
"Everybody inside the club believes he is going to play for Real Madrid but let's see what happens, especially in the next weeks.
"At Real Madrid, the player that earns the most is on €24m [£20m] per year. Real, it has been reported, could offer him €25m [£21m] after tax, so around €50m [£43m] before tax.
"Inside Real Madrid they believe that the amount of money Kylian has earned in the last two or three years is down in part to the famous £200m bid Real Madrid made to sign him before he signed a contract extension at PSG.
"The club believe that the money he has earned, in part, is thanks to Real Madrid's offer that was rejected by PSG."
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