Kylian Mbappé’s (25) contract with Paris Saint-Germain ends in June and while his decision over where he will be playing football next year has not yet been made public, it appears increasingly likely that the choice will be in Real Madrid’s favour.
The Spanish giants have courted the Frenchman since his talent first emerged at AS Monaco and while it looked as if they were going to sign him in 2022, a last-minute change of heart kept Mbappé with his hometown club for two more years.
Madrid are not used to being made to wait, and it speaks of the irreplaceable talent on offer that for Mbappé they would, which leads to the central question that PSG have hoped they would never have to answer. How do they replace a player like Mbappé?
Mbappé has been the top scorer in Ligue 1 for the past three seasons and looks well on his way to making it four with 20 goals in 19 games, far exceeding Yissam Ben Yedder the second-highest goal scorer this season who has 10 goals in 18 matches with Monaco.
A move away from his familiar left-wing this season to a number nine role under Luis Enrqiue has obviously helped increase Mbappé’s incredible output. And aside from Erling Haaland, it’s difficult to think of another player that could match what the captain of the French national team can offer.
From that basis, PSG will not look to replace Mbappé with a like-for-like, they know better than anyone that there is no player built from the exact same mould as him, but there are still interesting profiles that the club have been exploring if the worst did come to pass.
The profile of AC Milan’s Rafael Leão has been of particular interest to the reigning Ligue 1 champions, and their sporting director Luis Campos has already made concrete steps towards attempting to secure his signature in the summer.
The left-winger has familiarity with both the league and Campos having made his breakthrough with Lille OSC following a move from Sporting CP. His numbers this season have been reflective of an inconsistent year as he has scored only 3 times in 20 league appearances.
However, even in this season, your eyes will often be drawn solely to him as his immense talent stands out as unique, and his capacity to turn a game in an instant still threatens to deliver.
PSG are not his only admirers. Newcastle have been rumoured to also be in the process of attempting to convince Leão to sign with them, and it looks like there will be a fierce bidding war for a player that could alleviate some of the pressure that will come with losing Mbappé.
Another option for Les Parisiens over the summer could be a long-term target for the club. It has been no secret that PSG have wanted to bring Marcus Rashford to the Parc des Princes.
The left-winger who can also play as a striker would offer an interesting option within Luis Enrique’s system as the manager appears to appreciate positional flexibility from his outfield players. However, like Leão, Rashford has had an inconsistent season so far at Manchester United with only 5 goals in 21 appearances from the Englishman.
It’s unclear how willing United would be to lose a homegrown player even though it appears his relationship with manager Erik ten Hag can be best described as strained.
The INEOS takeover of the club’s footballing operation also adds another unknown to the equation, as there is as-of-yet no evidence of what the new direction for the club will look like and whether Rashford is considered a central part of that or not.
For each profile there is one obvious weakness, they are replacing the consistent with the inconsistent. It appears as if PSG hope that a move to a new environment could help them refind their form, by giving them a platform to show their exceptional talent.
Whether this approach will work will have to be seen, the hope remains that Mbappé will stay, but even that hope looks to be fading. The choice looks to have been made, and PSG will likely be forced into making some important moves this summer.
GFFN | Nick Hartland