Kylian Mbappé is on the list of potential candidates for Manchester United, which plans to recruit a big-name forward next summer, sources told ESPN.
United is open to the possibility of adding another player to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad during this passing window, and the club is focused on central midfield and right-back ahead of the August 31 deadline. But United is also building for the future and plans to sign a forward center in the summer window of 2022, and Solskjaer and the scouting team are drawing up a list of options.
Edinson Cavani is expected to leave Old Trafford at the end of this season – possibly returning to South America with Boca Juniors – and Solskjaer is eager to add a solid forward center to fill the void. Mbappé is one of the options on the table, along with Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, Harry Kane from Tottenham and Lautaro Martínez from Inter Milan.
Mbappé is playing the last year of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain and United is monitoring his situation. Real Madrid officials openly discussed the possibility of signing the 22-year-old, who has also been linked to Liverpool, during negotiations for Raphael Varane’s move from the Bernabéu to Old Trafford this summer. A source said Madrid needed the funds from Varane’s departure for its “Proyecto Mbappé” initiative, although the LaLiga team privately acknowledges that a pass for this summer is unlikely.
Sources say United is aware of Madrid’s interest in Mbappé and acknowledge that a move to the Premier League would be the less likely of the two if the issue were reduced to a choice between Spain and England. A source at PSG added that Mbappé views Real Madrid as his preferred option, although he has told his senior teammates that he hopes to be able to stay in Paris for another year, which would lead to a battle over his signing next summer.
Mbappé, by becoming an agent, would make a deal for him an especially attractive proposition, as it did not require a large pass, although only a select group of clubs in the world of football could take care of his salary and transfer. Mbappé is the second most expensive player in football history, after his € 180 million move to PSG in 2018. Neymar, at € 222m, remains the most expensive pass.
Manchester City wants to add Tottenham’s Kane before the transfer window closes this summer, but there is hope at United that the England captain and Mbappé will be available next year. Kane is valued at over £ 150m by Tottenham because he still has three more years on his contract, which has led to an impasse between Spurs and City.
Haaland seems determined to stay with Dortmund for one more season, despite interest from Chelsea, who signed former United striker Romelu Lukaku when the summer began.
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