The 10 best signings of the summer transfer window
3. Kylian Mbappe, PSG
Loan from Monaco
Kylian Mbappe had a phenomenal breakout season in 2016-17. He scored 15 goals in Ligue 1, and the next most by a teenager in one of Europe’s top five leagues was five. Monaco may have won the league and shaken up the established Champions League order a little, but the young Frenchman was always destined for a bigger club.
Screenwriter William Goldman once said “Nobody knows anything,” and with transfers that often seems to be the case. It’s always difficult to know which reports to believe. Manchester United reportedly bid £72 million for Mbappe’s services in May. True or not, in the current financial climate that always looked short of the mark for such a highly rated player.
Real Madrid reportedly weighed in with a far more realistic 180 million Euros. The Spanish champions were supposedly the player’s preferred destination. And yet, nothing happened.
https://twitter.com/AS_Monaco/status/903308912098766848
Instead, Mbappe has remained in France and joined PSG on loan. In truth, while it is a loan for now, they have agreed to pay £167 million next summer for a permanent transfer. However much money you have, when you’ve splashed out around £200 million on Neymar, you have to spread your commitments out a bit.
Is this a good move for the player? He’ll likely win the league this season, but then he’s already done that. The French title is hardly Europe’s most coveted title either. It’s obviously in Europe where he will hope to flourish. With Mbappe lined up alongside Neymar, PSG certainly can’t be ruled out of the running. Their group stage matches with Bayern Munich will be an early test of their prowess this season.