The French striker has been touted with a move to the Etihad as reports claim Manchester City want the Paris Saint-Germain star ‘at any cost’ but a deal still seems some way off
Manchester City are rumoured to be plotting a mega-money move for Paris Saint-Germain superstar and World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe – stealing him from under the noses of La Liga giants Real Madrid in the process.
According to the Transfer Window podcast, City is willing to part ways with a potentially staggering amount given club owner Sheikh Mansour has permitted sporting director Txiki Begiristain to sign Mbappe for any price.
Pep Guardiola’s team would offer Mbappe a deal that would topple the salary and signing-on fees offered by Los Blancos’ Carlo Ancelotti.
PSG reportedly needs to try and balance their books to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations in the wake of signing the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, and Gini Wijnaldum on eye-watering wages this summer.
The same regulations would apply to City, meaning that they would have to part with one of their most prominent stars.
Raheem Sterling was identified as the most likely candidate to call time on his City career to fund a move for Mbappe, but Guardiola has since quashed any talk of Sterling’s departure or Mbappe’s arrival.
“That is not going to happen,” the City boss said, “Sometimes I don’t understand where the news comes from. Manchester City isn’t going to spend the money that Mbappé deserves, or that PSG deserves. PSG won’t sell this player to any other club in Europe in the next year, I believe.”
“That is not going to happen, Mbappé is not going to come here, we are not going to swap Raheem or another top player that we have.”
Guardiola went on to ask for more respect from the media when it comes to transferring speculation, claiming: “I don’t understand where sometimes the news comes from, I don’t understand it.”
“People should be more respectful of PSG, respectful of Manchester City, for the players from PSG, for the players from Man City, they should have more respect.
“Of course I am the second person to know exactly which players are targets, which players I want to sell or something like that. But it is what it is.”
Mbappe’s current PSG deal expires at the end of this season and the 22-year-old has shown little desire to extend his stay in the French capital, rumored to favor a move to Real Madrid.
Three bids were rejected by Spanish giants for Mbappe in the late window, but they are expected to be back with a pre-contractual agreement in January.