Man Utd may have Kylian Mbappe lifeline after Real Madrid response to transfer

Manchester United may have been handed a Kylian Mbappe lifeline after Real Madrid president Florentino Perez insisted his club will not be signing any more players this month following the capture of ex-Newcastle and Stoke ace Joselu. Mbappe has spent the last five years at Paris Saint-Germain but recently told the French giants he wouldn’t be extending his stay at the Parc des Princes beyond 2024.

Real have been linked with Mbappe for years and looked set to prise him away from Paris in the summer of 2021. The 24-year-old was also being eyed up by Madrid ahead of the summer 2022 transfer window but ended up putting pen-to-paper on a bumper new deal with PSG last May.

Mbappe’s current PSG contract runs until next summer, with the ace having a clause that would allow him to extend his deal for a further year. But the striker reportedly sent a letter to PSG chiefs earlier this month to inform them he had no intentions of sticking around for longer than he has to.

Mbappe’s stance has alerted a string of clubs, with prospective United owner Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani said to be eyeing up a move for the player should he be successful in his takeover bid.

The Bernabeu Stadium still appears to be Mbappe’s most likely destination when he does quit PSG – but Perez has suggested Real won’t be making their move any time soon.

According to The Mirror, Perez was asked if there would be any more deals following the signings of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund and Joselu from Espanyol. And the 76-year-old confirmed that no other signings were currently being planned. His response was consistent with another answer from last week after he was quizzed over a move for Mbappe. When asked about signing the 2018 World Cup winner, Perez said: “Yes. But not this year.”

Mbappe has until July 31 to confirm whether he will extend his PSG contract by another year. And if his current employers can’t convince the blockbuster star to stay until 2025, they are likely to cash in on him this summer as they don’t want to lose him for free next year.

United are on the hunt for a goalscorer after flattering to deceive in attacking areas at times throughout the 2022/23 campaign. And they would jump at the chance to snap up Mbappe. But their presence in the race for the player’s signature could hinge on whether Sheikh Jassim is able to complete a deal for the club quickly. Otherwise the Red Devils could well miss out.