Neymar nudges Mbappé towards Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappé is Real Madrid’s prime objective for the summer of 2021, while Neymar wants to be reunited with Lionel Messi at PSG.
Kylian Mbappé has been inadvertently nudged a little closer to Real Madrid, with that little push coming from the least likely of sources yesterday.
Following PSG’s great 3-1 triumph against Manchester United at Old Trafford, an exultant Neymar, who scored a brace in the game, surprised reporters in the mixed zone with his headline-making comments.
Neymar wants to play with Messi again
"What I want most is to play with Messi again,” said the Brazilian striker. "I want to play with him. I'll let him play in my position if he wants! Next year, we have to play together, for sure."
Without realizing it, Neymar offered a ray of hope that was very well received at the Bernabéu offices. As is well known, Mbappé is Real Madrid’s prime objective for the summer of 2021. And given that this reunion between Neymar and Messi could only take place at PSG (Barça could not bear the combined salaries of the Argentine and Brazilian), this opens a new door for Mbappé to leave Paris next season.
PSG couldn’t afford Mbappé, Neymar and Messi
PSG could not manage the salary of all three superstars together. Messi earns €50 million net per season, while Neymar and Mbappé take home €37 million and €22 million, respectively. It would be nigh-on impossible to have all three on the payroll and even more so considering UEFA’s financial fair play inspectors are constantly lurking around the Parisian club.
So, if PSG do manage to land Messi on a free next summer, it would almost certainly force the club’s owners to put Mbappé on the transfer market, where Madrid would be in pole position to secure the services of the Frenchman. The excellent relations between the clubs, personified by presidents Florentino Pérez and Nasser Al-Khelaifi, would also help to facilitate negotiations.
It is estimated that PSG would ask for between €150 million and €180 million euros, although Madrid would seek a reduction on the grounds that the player could leave for free when his contract ends in 2022. And it is already common knowledge that Mbappé is refusing to sign a new deal in order to ensure he holds decision-making power regarding his future.