Transfer rumor roundup 6/23: Mbappe meets with Real Madrid
By Nick Pitner
Here’s a roundup of the latest news and transfer rumors surrounding which players could be joining new teams in the coming months.
This summer’s biggest transfer saga received an update Friday, with L’Equipe reporting Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe has met with Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane.
The Monaco striker is currently vacationing in Spain, but he and Zidane are said to have met on a boat to discuss Mbappe potentially joining the back-to-back Champions League winners.
According to the report, Zidane promised Mbappe plenty of playing time despite the presence of countryman Karim Benzema at center-forward.
To accommodate Mbappe, who astounded with 26 goals and 14 assists across all competitions this season, Real Madrid are anticipated to offload Alvaro Morata and perhaps James Rodriguez.
While Mbappe is thought to have left his meeting with Zidane excited about the prospect of moving to La Liga, ESPN reports Paris Saint-Germain will do their best to keep the youngster in France.
In fact, the Parisian club is prepared to shell out €135 million to bring Mbappe back to his birth city.
Since the introduction of new sporting director Antero Henrique, PSG have increased their efforts to sign France’s hottest talent, as Henrique sees Mbappe as “the new Lionel Messi” to build his project around.
The report claims Henrique has twice spoken to Mbappe’s father and has discussed PSG’s ability to bring Mbappe’s 11-year-old brother Ethan into the club’s youth setup as well.
Along with Real Madrid and PSG, Arsenal are believed to be in the mix for Mbappe, but the Gunners may have shifted their focus slightly, as RMC Sport reports they’ve submitted a €50 million bid for Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette.
That transfer fee meets the requirements of Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, which has resulted in an appointment being set for early next week to finalize the transfer.
Although Lacazette is currently on vacation, he’s aware of the situation surrounding him and could sign off on his future playing destination by the end of next week.
Of course, Arsenal’s offer comes after Lacazette’s switch to Atletico Madrid was stopped by the Spanish club’s transfer ban being upheld earlier this summer.
Now, with midfielder Corentin Tolisso having already left Lyon, it appears Lacazette could be next out the door.
Next: Dumbest transfer rumors this week: Joe Hart to United, Lionel Messi to City
According to L’Equipe, Lyon is close to sealing their pursuit of Chelsea’s Bertrand Traore, giving them one potential Lacazette replacement, but they’re also targeting Real Madrid product Mariano Diaz for further help on that front.
At 26 years old, Lacazette is coming off three straight seasons with at least 20 Ligue 1 goals, and the Frenchman scored 37 times in 45 total appearances this past term.
Whereas Lacazette was unable to join Atleti, one of their attackers may still be able to leave the club, as AS reports Yannick Carrasco is attracting attention from Bayern Munich.
Previously thought to be after Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, the German giants have seemingly turned their sights to Carrasco, who is said to be highly rated by manager Carlo Ancelotti.
The 23-year-old arrived at Atleti is the summer of 2015 and after taking some time to acclimate, Carrasco broke out to the tune of 14 goals and five assists across all competitions this season.
Nonetheless, the Belgian butted heads with manager Diego Simeone along the way, which could influence him to seek a departure despite Atleti’s inability to recruit a replacement until next year.
With Carrasco under contract until 2022, it’s expected that he’d cost Bayern €50 million in the event Atleti agrees to sell.