Barcelona are allegedly unwilling to pursue a deal for Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe.
Regardless of his prominence at Parc des Princes, the club’s all-time leading goalscorer has been kicked out of the first-team squad for refusing to sign a new deal.
Mbappe hinted earlier this summer that he wants to leave PSG on a free transfer in 2024, a stance instantly denounced by club executives who, understandably, do not want to lose their most coveted asset for nothing.
As things stand, neither party appears to be any closer to reaching an agreement that will satisfy everyone, leading to increased interest in the 24-year-old’s signature.
On Monday, it was revealed that Al-Hilal were willing to pay an unprecedented £259 million fee to win the race, as well as offer Mbappe highly favourable financial terms and over a short period of time if he so desired.
However, while PSG would take that deal, a slew of European clubs are said to be interested, with Barcelona curiously included.
This is despite the Catalan giants’ well-documented financial problems, as well as the La Liga winners’ inability to sign Lionel Messi on a free transfer last month.
According to Marca, sources have stated that Barcelona will not make a bid for Mbappe, even on a loan basis.
Barcelona was able to sign three players this summer, Inigo Martinez, Oriol Romeu, and Ilkay Gundogan, for a total of €3.4m (£2.93m).
Barcelona may still be looking for a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, but much will depend on their ability to continue cutting costs in the future.
Martinez, Romeu, and Gundogan have yet to be officially registered for the 2017 La Liga season, and this will continue until more cuts are made.
From Mbappe’s point of view, Liverpool and Chelsea have both been mentioned as potential suitors, but that was before Al-Hilal made a world-record bid.
Behind the scenes at PSG, they believe Mbappe is set to join Real Madrid on a free transfer in less than a year, prompting them to pursue a sale as quickly as possible.
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