Real Madrid legend Guti warns Kylian Mbappé of “acting for money”

The ongoing sage of Kylian Mbappé's long-mooted move to Real Madrid appears to have been put to bed for another summer.

The 24-year-old returned to training with Paris Saint-Germain this week and all indications suggest that he will be in the squad to face Toulouse in their Ligue 1 opener on Saturday.

PSG had initially said that Mbappé would be sold this summer unless he agreed to sign an extension with the club, preventing their most important asset from leaving on a free next year. While the club appears to have withdrawn from that position, PSG are desperate to get him to sign an extension as they look to build a new team under head coach Luis Enrique.

Mbappé warned against PSG extension

He may soon receive another lucrative contract offer from the French champions, but Real Madrid and Spain legend Guti has advised Mbappé to think about more than just the money.

“I want Mbappe to play for Real Madrid. Real cannot afford the luxury of closing the door to such a player,” Guti said on Spanish sports chat show El Chiringuito. “But if Mbappe extends his contract with PSG, it will show that he is acting for the money.”

“If that happens, Real Madrid will have to opt for Erling Haaland,” the former Los Blancos star continued.

The prospect of luring Haaland away from European champions Manchester City may seem fanciful for now, but Mbappé's window for a move to Madrid is not limitless. By the end of this year he will be 25 years old, very much in the prime of his career. If he were to sign a lengthy extension in Paris he would be a much less desirable asset by the time he would next be available.

The mutual admiration between Mbappé and Real Madrid has been well-documented and there is an enduring assumption that the French World Cup winner will one day star in the Santiago Bernabeu. But, as Guti points out, he will likely have to refuse more lucrative offers elsewhere to make the switch to Madrid.