Kylian Mbappe: PSG Star Moving to Real Madrid a Blessing to Haaland’s Manchester City

• Kylian Mbappe's imminent transfer to Real Madrid is football's worst-kept secret
• The 2018 World Cup winner is set to quit Paris Saint-Germain and move to Spain
• The move, if it gets over the line, could be a blessing of sorts for Manchester City

Kylian Mbappe exiting Paris Saint-Germain was always seen as a matter of when, not if. It has now emerged he has already issued a notice of departure, with Real Madrid understood to be his next destination.

Getting a player of Mbappe's calibre on a free transfer is set to be among the best pieces of business overseen by Florentino Perez in recent times.

The Spanish football executive has been ruthless in his dealings, often sourcing and securing the best players for the Los Blancos, which explains their successes over the years.

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Barring any major changes in what we think would happen in the summer, Mbappe donning the all-white Real Madrid jersey is set to be a blessing in disguise for Manchester City. Real Madrid are long-term admirers of Erling Haaland.

Ballon d'Or competition

It is no secret that Mbappe and the lead City striker are the supposed heirs of the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo throne. The two had their first run-in at the 2023 Ballon d'Or awards, where they both had a podium finish behind Messi.

Now with the Argentine out of the picture, they are expected to go head-to-head for all the major individual and collective awards.

Haaland's agent, Rafaela Pimenta, and his father, Alf-Inge, have previously openly flirted with the idea of the Norwegian moving to Madrid. The Brazilian lawyer intimated that Man City was just a passing stage for Haaland before he moved to the Spanish capital.

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However, with Mbappe seemingly moving to Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola's side can breathe easy over losing their star striker to their European rivals in the next couple of seasons.

Why Haaland may fail to join Real Madrid

Given that the two will be direct competitors for the Ballon d'Or award, it won't make sense for Haaland to pitch tent in the same club as his rival.

There have been unconfirmed reports that Vinicius Junior is already uneasy about the imminent arrival of Mbappe, who, in the presence of a proven number 9, might rival the Brazilian for his position. Adding Haaland to an existing squad of galacticos could dampen squad harmony due to cut-throat competition.

Another outlier reason that could bar Perez from moving for Haaland would be the wage bill at the club. Veterans, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, might leave in the summer, but paying both Haaland and Mbappe might be a tall order, even for a club of Real Madrid's stature. Haaland is currently on £375,000-a-week in England and will require a considerable raise to move to Spain.

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City are understood to be eager to hand the 23-year-old a new contract that will tie him to the club until 2029. There is nothing preventing him and Mbappe from playing together at Real Madrid, but from the aforementioned reasons, both parties might deem the transfer 'unnecessary'.

The good news for Haaland and his Real Madrid hopes is that even if he were to sign a contract extension until 2029, he would only be 29 years old then, which gives him an opportunity to secure another long-term contract at another club.

Manchester City want Mbappe

In another twist, Sports Brief also previously reported on the claims that Manchester City will be bidding for Mbappe as well.

The club has reportedly met with the player's representatives in a bid to convince him to dump his dream and move to England.

Mbappe has in the past hailed Manchester City's rivals, Liverpool, as his favourite club in England but nothing is set in stone.