Coronavirus has jeopardised Mbappé Madrid summer move
Yvan Le Mee, who has brokered deals for Real Madrid signings in the past, claims that the French striker Kylian Mbappé will now not join the Spanish club in 2020.
Kylian Mbappé is worth €300million and would likely have joined Real Madrid this year but for the coronavirus pandemic, according to an agent who has worked regularly with the LaLiga club.
France star Mbappé has regularly been linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu despite only joining Paris Saint-Germain from Monaco in 2018.
Initially signed on loan, the striker made the switch to Parc des Princes permanently for €180m a year later, making him the second most expensive signing in history behind €222m team-mate Neymar.
The 21-year-old is said to be one of Madrid's prime transfer targets, although PSG are thought to be keen to keep him in Ligue 1 for as long as possible, with his contract expiring in 2022.
Yvan Le Mee, who has brokered deals for Madrid signings such as Ferland Mendy and Julien Faubert, thinks a move to the Spanish capital was on the cards before COVID-19 brought the football season to a halt.
Now, be believes such a deal will not take place until after the European Championship, which has been moved to 2021.
"Mbappé, in a normal context, without this horrible virus or the economic problem that's coming, we could think he was going to sign for Madrid this summer," Le Mee told outlets in Spain.
"It doesn't seem as though he's going to renew and he has two years left on his contract. But with all this, it seems impossible that a club is going to spend now what Mbappé costs. Because if Neymar is worth 222million, Kylian is worth 300million, because he is younger and just as good, incredible.
"He's going to be the best striker in the world and I think he's going to want to play for the best club in the world, which is Madrid, and for one of his idols to coach him, which is [Zinedine] Zidane.
"Plus, today, there is no great competition in Madrid's attack. That's where they have a greater demand. They have a great like [Karim] Benzema, but he is going into the last years of his career.
"Today, there is more competition in PSG's attack than in Madrid's and I'm sure he'd find his place without any problem.
"This year, there won't be any big transfers because they are not going to do crazy things, and I think it will come after the Euros."
Left-back Mendy joined Madrid last June in a deal worth an initial €48m, having impressed for Lyon in Ligue 1.
However, Le Mee says the move had looked in doubt until Zidane made it clear he was desperate for the signing to be completed.
"It was a very difficult transfer because Lyon didn't want to sell," he said. "They wanted him for another year, and Madrid didn't want to pay 48million [euros] plus the five [million] in bonuses.
"Negotiations lasted for months, and they already had many players in that position.
"[Chief scout Juni] Calafat and [general director] Jose Angel Sanchez did an exceptional job in the negotiations. Zidane wanted the player at all costs and, despite the problems, he never gave up and that's super important because there are times when the coach gets tired of waiting and the club changes its mind.
"Ferland also had Juve, Napoli and Inter [interested], but Madrid were Madrid, and there was no problem with him. He had a poster of Zidane in his room as a child."