With Kylian Mbappé in Paris, punished without going on the tour of Japan that PSG started on July 22. And with Barcelona and Real Madrid in Los Angeles, practically halfway through the start of the preseason that has brought both clubs to the United States, the upper echelons of PSG made a move asking Barcelona if they would be interested in incorporating Mbappé. An unexpected move. Amazing. And even surreal, taking into account the complicated economic situation in which Barça finds itself, with seven first-team players pending registration because the excessive financial fair play prevents it.
Despite knowing this context, PSG picked up the phone and called. Surprising first the president and later, when it dawned in Los Angeles, also Xavi Hernández, the sports leadership and the soccer management.
The context in which the call is made has its origin in the anger caused in Paris by the possibility that the French footballer could leave next year for free to Real Madrid to fulfill Florentino Pérez's dream. Behind this anger, the chief executive of the Qatari club, Nasser Al Khelaifi, contacted the president Joan Laporta to test the arrival of Mbappé at the Spotify Camp Nou in an operation that would include the arrival of two FC Barcelona footballers in Paris.
The news was advanced by the newspaper L'Équipe. And, as this newspaper was able to learn, PSG put the name of Ousmane Dembélé on the table, which was already on the champion's agenda last summer. If Mbappé, a great PSG star, leaves, the French team needs to sign a French player. They also asked about Gavi, a footballer very much liked by coach Luis Enrique, who already bet on him when he was the Spain coach. The youth squad player is, after Pedri, the most valuable player in the Barcelona squad with a market value of 90 million, while Dembélé would be at 60 million.
Both players have a contract with FC Barcelona. Dembélé's ends in 2024 but the club has already started contacts to renew the French winger, much to the liking of Xavi Hernández, who maintains that there is no winger like him. Dembélé is happy in Barcelona, he begins his seventh season with the desire to increase his goalscoring score and he feels very loved and valued by the coach, without a doubt his great supporter.
For his part, Gavi has a contract until 2026 and a clause of 1,000 million euros.
Mbappé's contractual situation is complex. After the last renewal signed last summer, with an extension of the contract until 2024, Mbappé went on to earn 72 million euros per year, the highest salary in football excluding salaries from Saudi Arabia. In addition, the Frenchman received a renewal bonus of between 80 and 100 million, which he could lose if he left Paris this summer, according to various media outlets in the neighboring country. The set of figures are totally unaffordable, unattainable and impossible for FC Barcelona, which has not yet been able to register the renewed Sergi Roberto, Marcos Alonso, Iñaki Peña nor Ronald Araújo's new contract. They also have pending to lighten the wage bill to register all the new signings: Gündogan, Iñigo Martínez and Oriol Romeu.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the news surprised the coaching staff led by Xavi Hernández. When the day began they were unaware of PSG's attempt to try to prevent the footballer from finishing in white. In addition, sources from the sports management and the board insist that it is impossible for the Frenchman to join FC Barcelona, especially for economic reasons. "It's like a story in which they have put Barça to mislead", they sentence.
At the same time, L'Équipe, which advanced the contacts, explains that Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Inter Milan are also interested in French, in addition to Saudi Arabia. Specifically, it is Al Hilal who has made an offer of 300 million euros for Mbappé. PSG welcomes him and, according to Sky Sports, has already given him permission to negotiate with the player. However, it is unlikely that Mbappé will accept a proposal that is not that of Real Madrid, and that he is following the matter very closely waiting for his moment.
