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What's the story?
AS Monaco star Kylian Mbappe has told his club that he wants to leave, according to multiple reports in France and ESPN. The French teenage sensation has reportedly spoken to AS Monaco's owners, and informed Vice President Vadim Vasilyev that he would like to leave the club this summer. Vasilyev would favour a move to Real Madrid, according to the report, but Paris St-Germain CEO, Nasser El-Khelaifi has also arranged a meeting with the Monegasque hierarchy. so as to push through a move - if the deal for Neymar falls through.
In case you didn't know...
Having come through the ranks at AS Monaco, Kylian Mbappe made his first-team debut for the Ligue 1 side in 2015, but exploded onto the scene with a stellar latter half of the 2016/17 season. His performances against top sides like Manchester City and Juventus brought him much acclaim and the fact that he finished the season with 40 goals in 44 appearances for the club have made him the prime target of the biggest clubs in the world this summer.
Also Read: Kylian Mbappe, astronomical transfer fees and the damned state of humanity
The heart of the matter
Speaking just a week ago, Mbappe's name was curiously absent from Vasilyev's proclamation of keeping his stars. The AS Monaco VP said, "We have kept all of the key players that we intended to keep. Fabinho is a must-have player in midfield who was being courted by all the major clubs. I will also address speculation about Lemar: he is staying with us. We have discussed this. Both these players have tremendous talent and are essential for our team. We must not await further departures, rather arrivals."
Reports in the British press have claimed that now that Mbappe has made clear his intentions to leave, Monaco are asking for a fee in the range of €200 million, especially in light of the Neymar transfer. Real Madrid have baulked at the fee, but PSG are willing to stump up the cash, now that they have found a loophole in UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules.
Also Read: The delicate brilliance of Kylian Mbappe
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Author's Take:
Real Madrid ought to be encouraged in their chase for the most exciting prospect in football, but ought to be wary - Paris St-Germain have made it very clear that they're willing to break the transfer record this summer, and if Barcelona do sell Neymar, they could gazump the move for Mbappe with the money they earn.
