Daniel Levy has been in close contact with Paris Saint-Germain over a deal for the Frenchman.
France’s Kylian Mbappe before the match
Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has been in close contact with Paris Saint-Germain over a potential deal for Kylian Mbappe, according to a recent report from MARCA.
What’s the latest on Kylian Mbappe’s future?
Mbappe has not been included in PSG’s squad for their upcoming pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea, with the French side making it clear that no player is more important than the club, and his future now appears to be in major doubt.
The 24-year-old seemingly has his sights set on a move to Real Madrid, with the same report detailing that he is prepared to sit out the entire 2023-24 campaign to seal a move to the Bernabeu on a free transfer, but the Spanish side are not the only potential suitors.
Saudi Arabian side Al HIlal are one of the clubs interested in signing the Frenchman, having already made contact with PSG to discuss a deal, with other reports claiming they have offered him an eye-watering £173.2m deal to join the club.
According to a report from MARCA, a whole host of Premier League clubs are also interested in signing the PSG star, including Manchester United, who would be keen on completing a deal regardless of whether they are taken over by Qatari owners.
Chelsea are also named as potential suitors, however their very delicate financial situation is currently being watched by UEFA, and they need to sell more players to balance the books before they can think about pursuing a move for the France international.
Spurs are one of the other Premier League clubs given a mention, with Levy allegedly having been in close contact with the PSG owners for quite some time, because the French champions were one of the teams to ask about Harry Kane.
Who is Kylian Mbappe signing for?
A move to Saudi Arabia would certainly raise a few eyebrows, however it could be hard to resist a package of £172.3m, with a number of other European players being tempted by a move to the up-and-coming Saudi Pro League this summer.
However, Real Madrid reportedly hold all the cards in the race to sign the former AS Monaco man, who has already made his mind up about moving to the Spanish capital, with an agreement already said to be in place.
As such, a move to Tottenham does not seem like a likely eventuality, particularly considering they do not have European football of any description on offer next season, which is likely to make it very difficult to lure the £1.2m-per-week superstar.
PSG’s Kylian Mbappe warms up
Of course, if Levy did somehow manage to pull off a deal for the attacker, he would undoubtedly be an excellent addition to the squad, in light of his performances for both club and country over the past few years.
Lauded as “unbelievable” by Fabrizio Romano, Mbappe is already PSG’s all-time leading goalscorer, having found the back of the net on 212 occasions for the French champions, and he now has 12 goals to his name at the World Cup.
Tottenham Hotspur have already enjoyed a fine start to the transfer window, but could now blow their rivals out of the water with a shock move for a truly outstanding talent.
How much would Joao Felix cost?
Having been credited with interest in Joao Felix earlier this month, perhaps Ange Postecoglou could seek to make his biggest statement yet by signing the Portuguese maestro, who stood out in a lacklustre Chelsea side.
The 23-year-old is quite clearly surplus to requirements at Atletico Madrid, and with the Spanish giants seeking to reclaim some kind of return on their initial €126m (£113m) investment, they will likely command a hefty fee.
That being said, FootballTransfers only value the Portugal international at €45.3m (£39m), even though reports from Spain have suggested they will instead demand no less than €100m (£87m).
With a specified play style that captures the imagination, perhaps the Lilywhites could seek to emulate their west London rivals’ latest big acquisition with this deal.
What is Christopher Nkunku’s style of play?
Having agreed to join Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, Christopher Nkunku finally joined up with his new squad earlier this month. The French international moved fresh off the back of his stunning final campaign for RB Leipzig, where he posted 23 goals and a further nine assists across all competitions.
What makes such a feat even more impressive is the fact he did so as more of a shadow striker than a classic number nine, operating in between the lines and ghosting in to provide the lethal finishing touches.
Even though it was only a brief glimpse, Felix showcased himself as perfectly able of occupying that role despite the Blues’ failures last campaign. Journalist Nick Emms gave the trickster arguably the best praise that a Chelsea fan can offer on Twitter, writing: “Joao Felix is the first player to excite me like this since Eden Hazard. World class.”
The respective heat maps of these stars help emphasise their tendency to occupy similar areas too, as both seek to drift from the left half-spaces into the centre.
To partner the young magician with Harry Kane could be devastating too, to draw the focus off one another, leaving defenders bamboozled as to who they should mark.
After all, during the 2021/22 season, his last full year of stability in Spain, he would maintain a 7.15 average rating as he began to show the promise his price tag had suggested. Such a figure was buoyed by his 12 goal contributions, as he forged a further seven big chances whilst averaging 0.8 key passes per game, via Sofascore.
Perhaps in a fully functional team, all of whom finally seem to be heading in the right direction under Postecoglou, Felix could reignite a career that is threatening to stall despite still being so young.
Nkunku’s agent and former PSG centre-back Jose-Karl Pierre-Fanfan had suggested:
“I was immediately drawn to him, even if he was playing youth football. It was immediately obvious that he had the DNA of a footballer. He was playing through the middle and was clearly a cut above. He wasted little and had perfect vision.”
However, the Benfica youth product would earn similar praise from his youth coach Joao Tralhao:
“He can play anywhere, because he always finds the spaces to do what the coach wants. He understands that positioning like few in the world, he’s very clever. He just needs to be where he can demonstrate his quality.
“I know him well, and I know his ambition. I know he has the capacity to still become one of the best players in the world.”
Perhaps as the spearhead for the new regime, where the pressure of his record-breaking price tag would be alleviated, Felix can finally shine as Postecoglou’s very own version of Chelsea’s new French wizard
