Could Kylian Mbappe play Premier League football this season? The possibility seemed remote as summer dawned. While the forward’s position at Paris Saint-Germain was becoming untenable, it has been an open secret that Mbappe only has eyes for Real Madrid. His intention seems to be to see out his PSG contract and move to the Bernabeu next summer. But this arrangement does not suit his current club, who want some sort of return on the £166 million fee they paid Monaco for him in 2018.
They tried to go for the nuclear option, accepting a £259m bid from Al-Hilal of the Saudi Pro League. Despite a staggering £11.5m per week wage offer, Mbappe would not entertain the transfer for a second. This has left all involved in an awkward position. PSG don’t want Mbappe to play for them. They remain convinced the player has agreed a clandestine deal to move to Madrid. Mbappe wants to play football at the highest possible level this season. This has seen an unusual solution proposed.
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The idea of Mbappe spending a year on loan in the Premier League has been discussed. Liverpool and Chelsea were the initial front-runners for such a deal. Their candidacy made the most sense out of the major clubs in the division.
Manchester City would likely not upset their delicate balance for a year-long indulgence. Manchester United could use an attacker, but Mbappe works best on the left and Marcus Rashford has just signed a new contract. United would also find his wages hard to square away with Financial Fair Play. Tottenham Hotspur are in something of a holding pattern until the Harry Kane saga is resolved. Arsenal have already spent big, including a mammoth £105m for Declan Rice. Newcastle United could make it work financially but it is doubtful Mbappe would go, despite the appeal of Champions League football.
So it made sense that Liverpool and Chelsea were broached as Mbappe’s likeliest destinations. But Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has already come out to deny the story, telling reporters: “I can say that I think he's a really good player but the financial conditions don't suit us at all. I wouldn't like to ruin the story now... but as far as I know, there's nothing to it.”
Could this be kidology to put others off the scent? Quite possibly. After all it is never a good idea to publicly talk up a transfer before it is done. But Klopp is usually a straight-shooter and it would undermine his authority if the player were to arrive, making a lie out of his words.
But let’s take Klopp at his word for now and consider Liverpool out of the race. That leaves Chelsea as Mbappe’s most hospitable entrance into English football. He suits them in many ways. For a start, he’ll be on a massive salary. Part of the attraction for PSG is getting him off their wage bill. Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly can’t exactly plead poverty either, having signed dozens of players since purchasing the club. But he would also vastly improve an attack that misfired last season.
Chelsea have purchased forwards Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson this summer. But Mbappe can take the pressure off those new buys and allow them to settle in. He would only be around for a year, meaning once they had acclimatised they would be ready to become regular starters next term. Chelsea would benefit from the services of perhaps the best player on the planet, without him disenfranchising his temporary teammates.
The move would not all be plain sailing though. Undoubtedly there would be questions about Mbappe’s commitment whenever he had a poor game. Given the fact the move would basically act as a way to keep him fresh for Real Madrid, would he ease up as the season wore on to ensure he didn’t get injured? Ultimately, even if it was purely subconscious, Chelsea would never be Mbappe’s priority.
But would that matter? Is football really all that sentimental? If Mbappe committed to the cause enough to get Chelsea back into the Champions League and maybe land a trophy or two, surely his marriage of convenience would be worth it? Mbappe has shown that playing for a reputable team is more important than money by turning down a Saudi move. Chelsea need a player of supreme talent to galvanise them. A loan deal works for both parties and for PSG too, who would have Mbappe off the wage bill before his seemingly-inevitable Real switch.
This transfer still has a long way to travel. Will PSG soften their stance and decide that if anyone should benefit from the next year of Mbappe’s career it is them? Will Liverpool re-emerge and render Klopp’s comments as gamesmanship? Perhaps another attacker-hungry outfit will enter the race. Bayern Munich can’t seem to make any movement on their Harry Kane pursuit. Could they furnish their team with one of the few forwards equally as potent as the Spurs man? The next month of the transfer window is going to be fascinating. As he so often is at this time of year, Kylian Mbappe will be right at the heart of it.
