French superstar Kylian Mbappe is not signing an extension deal with Paris Saint-Germain as reports said the young striker is preparing for a move to La Liga next year. Mbappe is tipped to make the jump to Real Madrid next summer and the Spanish giants are confident of signing the PSG marksman.
Mbappe shunning a new deal from his current club will make things easier for Los Blancos. The absence of a long-term contract will allow the 21-year-old to walk away for free when his existing deal expires in 2022. Real boss Zinedine Zidane is hoping that PSG will be forced to negotiate with him when his side makes a formal bid on the Frenchman.
According to 90Min, Zidane is expecting Mbappe "to hold out on signing a new deal with PSG," to pave the way for a favorable transfer setting in the summer of 2021.
The Spanish side has been targeting the PSG ace for years but his astronomical transfer fee, last estimated at around €200 million, serves as a huge stumbling block given the current financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The club, however, is hopeful of decent recovery in the coming months and should be ready to talk business on Mbappe in time for the 2021 summer transfer window.
Real's interest in the French striker is unsurprising. The youngster won the World Cup as a teenager and boasts of multiple titles playing for Monaco and PSG. And he has been sensational since breaking out of the scene as shown by his performance in Ligue 1 this season.
Mbappe managed to play 20 games in the league before football season was suspended in March and he scored 18 goals. Pundits said bringing the striker to Bernabeu is Real's way of replacing Cristiano Ronaldo, who departed for Juventus in 2018.
The Sun said in a report that Mbappe's imminent signing with Real is part of Zidane's plot to beef up his roster with fresh and talented French footballers. Another target by the manager is Eduardo Camavinga of Rennes.
It was said that Zidane has already advised his fellow Frenchmen not to re-sign with their respective clubs in preparation for a move to Spanish football next year.
Camavinga is wanted in Bernabeu as Real will need to strengthen on the defensive midfield area. The 17-year-old is also seen as the long-term replacement for Casemiro.
Mbappe, on the other hand, is an admirer of the Spanish giants and is seen eager to join the club when given the opportunity. It is believed that the youngster has already agreed in personal terms to join Real even before the coronavirus lockdown.
