Kylian Mbappe is the hottest young player in world football and will take centre stage once again tonight as PSG take on Manchester United in the last 16 of the Champions League. However, he could have been playing for Real Madrid this season if things had gone differently in the transfer market.
PSG Chief Luis Ferrer has revealed to Infobae just how hard his side had to work to secure Mbappe’s signing:
“We had to do twice the work of Real Madrid. We went to his house, we spoke to his relatives, we showed them the project.
"We had to do a lot of things to show them that we truly wanted him, that we were going to make him play, that he was important for us.
“Luckily Kylian believed us and we could close it. When Zidane and Real Madrid called him, who were coming from winning two Champions Leagues at that time, it was difficult to think that we were going to convince him. We did everything one could imagine to convince him and his family.”
In the end, PSG managed to bag Mbappe on a loan deal, before splashing out £160m to secure his signing on a permanent deal the following summer. The World Cup winner is now one of the most promising youngsters in world football and PSG have assembled one of the strongest sides in Europe. Ferrer continued:
"We had to convince him it was not the time to leave the country. That was one of the points. Our key was telling him ‘stay in France, show it here, and after you’ll have time to try an experience abroad.”
This leaves the door ajar for Mbappe to move away from France in the future. Potentially to giants Real Madrid who are in desperate need for some reinforcements following Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit.
"We went to Ibiza, but I went a little more as a companion from the club, not as a friend, because he is a boy," he continued.
"He was coming from being a world champion and I accompanied him in the first days to put things in their place.
"I went back to Paris and returned towards the end. I went, more than anything as it was Ibiza and they speak Spanish, to give him more comfort and because of the trust I have with his family.”
