Barcelona president Joan Laporta has claimed he is not jealous of Real Madrid for leading the race to sign Kylian Mbappe, predicting the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar will disrupt dressing-room harmony.
Real Madrid Is Leading The Race To Sign Kylian Mbappe
One of the best players in the world, Mbappe will become a free agent on June 30, 2024. PSG wanted to tie the Frenchman down to another short contract extension but he reportedly turned them down. According to top journalist Fabrizio Romano, Mbappe has already communicated his decision to the Parisians and is in talks with Real Madrid over a possible summer switch.
Romano has claimed that Mbappe and Real Madrid have an agreement over wages and are currently hashing out terms over image rights. Once those are taken care of, all involved parties will confirm Mbappe’s exit from the Parc des Princes and switch to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Barcelona President Insists He Is Not Jealous Of Arch-Rivals
Los Blancos, who have an eight-point lead over Barcelona in the La Liga race, already have one of the best teams in the world. If Mbappe joins their ranks, they could become formidable both in Spain and Europe.
Barcelona president Laporta, however, claimed he was not envious of the All-Whites. He first hinted at the potential positional conflict with Vinicius Jr. and insisted the money involved in Mbappe’s deal would upset Madrid’s dressing room dynamic.
In an interview with Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Laporta said (via Forbes):
“Not at all [jealous of Real Madrid]. Also, I don’t know if they will [sign him] or not. There’s a problem. You have to sell a player, right? Because they’re [Vinicius Jr. & Mbappe] not both going to play in the same place and they’re also two very marked players.
“And speaking of the numbers that will be there, this affects the locker room for sure. That’s not a gift.”
According to Romano, however, Real Madrid will not break their wage structure to sign Mbappe. His salary will be identical to that of Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham, but he will receive a massive signing bonus of over $100 million. Madrid will reportedly pay the amount in installments.
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