Real Madrid were reportedly keen on acquiring the services of Kylian Mbappe in the summer of 2021, and it seemed like the Frenchman would finally complete his dream move to the Santiago Bernabeu due to his strained relationship with former Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel.
However, with the sacking of Tuchel and the appointment of Mauricio Pochettinho, Real Madrid now face a completely different scenario in their bid to sign Mbappe. Diaro Gol reports that the 22-year-old forward is extremely keen on working with the former Tottenham Hotspur manager and has now rejected Real’s mega five-year deal to work with Pochettino.
Los Blancos were willing to offer Mbappe a lucrative contract that would make him the world’s highest-paid footballer at the age of 22. But the French forward seems to be more interested in working with his new manager who promises to deliver the UEFA Champions League.
Paris Saint-Germain had made it to the final last season in the Champions League, and this season the goal is to go one step further, with Pochettinho earmarked as the manager capable of delivering the trophy.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid will now turn their attention towards other options as they look to replace 33-year-old Karim Benzema, with Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) and Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) next on their list. Haaland would be the ideal replacement/upgrade from Benzema, while Salah would be the perfect replacement for Hazard, who is at a similar age level but has proved to be Madrid’s white elephant with his recurring injuries and high wages.
The Egyptian has previously shown interest in playing for Los Blancos by stating that it is a dream for every footballer in the world to play for Real Madrid.
Both options would be expensive and complicated, with Haaland requiring playing time guarantees while bringing in either play would necessitate selling other players in their positions, and whether that’s Jovic or Benzema, Hazard or Bale, it will be a difficult time for Zinedine Zidane this summer as he plots a much-needed revamp of playing personnel at the club.
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