Any deal to bring Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid could disrupt the dressing room and force Los Blancos to sell other players, says Barcelona president Joan Laporta.
Mbappe is set to leave Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer at the end of the season, having declined to take up the third-year option in the contract extension he signed back in 2022.
Reports suggest Mbappe has already informed PSG of his desire to join Madrid and will become a Blancos player on July 1.
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Mbappe will reportedly take a pay cut to join Madrid, earning significantly less than he would have done if he had joined the Spanish giants two years ago, when he conducted a surprise U-turn to stay with PSG.
However, the deal is still being described as the most expensive free transfer in history, with reports in Spain suggesting Mbappe’s signing-on fee alone could amount to over £100million.
Barcelona’s long-term financial issues have prevented them from joining the race for Mbappe’s signature, but Laporta does not necessarily think that is a bad thing.
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Asked if Madrid’s pursuit of Mbappe provoked feelings of envy in Catalonia, Laporta said: “No, not at all, but I don’t know if they will sign him or not. Let’s see.
“[If they do sign Mbappe] they will have a problem there. They will have to transfer a player, right? Because two players aren’t going to play in the same position…
“Speaking about the numbers involved, it’s going to distort the dressing room for sure. It’s not a gift.”
Mbappe has 38 goals and eight assists across all competitions for PSG this season, helping the Parisiens to a commanding lead at the Ligue 1 summit and into the Champions League quarter-finals.
Barcelona will be PSG’s opponents in the last eight of that competition, with a semi-final against either Borussia Dortmund or Atletico Madrid on the line.
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Laporta is upbeat regarding Barca’s hopes of going all the way in Europe, saying: “We have a chance in both competitions. We are dreaming of achieving something that right now is not a fantasy, it is a realistic possibility.
“We are in the last eight in Europe and have a tough tie against PSG, but we have the second leg at home, which is good for us. The team are super motivated.
“LaLiga is there, too. We are eight points back and Madrid aren’t slipping up, but we won’t throw in the towel.”