Real Madrid have launched a second bid worth €180m for Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe, having seen their first offer of €160m rejected by the French giants.
The 22-year-old's contract expires at the end of the 2021/22 season, but Los Merengues are determined to land the World Cup winner this summer. The Frenchman has stated he wants to leave Paris, and the club's sporting director Leonardo has confirmed the talisman's desire for a new challenge.
PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi does not want to lose Mbappe this summer and did not waste any time in snubbing the initial offer of €160m. The chairman wants €200m, whereas director of football Leonardo has suggested a price tag of €180m could be acceptable.
Now, sources have confirmed to 90min that Real have put that €180m bid on the table, and Leonardo has told those in charge at the Parc des Princes to accept it as he wants to bring this saga to an end once and for all.
It is not year clear whether Al-Khelaifi will accept as that fee still falls €20m short of his asking price, but PSG are under pressure to sell their talisman, or risk losing him for free at the end of the season. The club had been trying to convince Mbappe to extend his stay in the French capital, but to no avail.
The forward has his heart set on a move to Madrid, and is refusing to consider a new contract with PSG. 90min understands that the Parisiens were originally desperate for Mbappe to stay and play alongside new signing Lionel Messi in their all-star lineup, but their position has changed following Madrid's bid.
The PSG board were willing to enter negotiations over the sale, although they are still demanding a €200m fee. Leonardo also confirmed that the club 'will not hold him back', but they want to receive more than the €180m they paid in 2017.
"Kylian Mbappé wants to join Real Madrid and we will not hold him back. We said no to Madrid's first offer, but if our conditions are met, we'll see," he said earlier this week.
"Real Madrid's official offer is very far from what we want for Kylian. Yes, it's around €160m. It's less than what we paid for him in 2017."
In fact, PSG have only paid €145m of the €180m figure, but they will be forced to pay a further €35m to Monaco when they either renew Mbappe's contract or sell him. This is pushing them to drive an even harder bargain for the forward, knowing they will automatically surrender €35m of the fee gained.
This article was originally published on 90min as Real Madrid launch second bid worth €180m for Kylian Mbappe .
Source: www.90min.com