Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe has reportedly told his employers that this will be his last season at the club - alerting every top side in Europe that he could be available.
Mbappe joined the French champions on loan originally in 2017 from Monaco, before signing for a £169m obligation the following season. Since then, he's become the most valuable footballer on Earth, winning the World Cup with France in 2018 and becoming only the second teenager to score in the final of the competition since Pele in 1958.
But Mbappe is still ambitious for European glory. After PSG's failure to win the Champions League last month, their young star is looking to move to a club who can offer him a better shot at the title.
Mbappe apparently only has a year left on his contract from next summer. This could put the 21-year-old in the driving seat to find himself a new club, with PSG willing to cash in rather than losing him for free.
A number of clubs will be interested in signing Mbappe from PSG, with Real Madrid perhaps the frontrunners for the Frenchman's signature. Real are hoping to land Erling Haaland along with Mbappe and have coveted the star since he first broke onto the scene with Monaco - it's thought that Mbappe himself admired the club growing up and would love to join if possible.
Liverpool also retain an interest. The Premier League champions were heavily linked with Mbappe at times last season and Jurgen Klopp would see the forward as the perfect way to refresh his front three, given his capability anywhere across the frontline. Rumours of Mbappe certainly cooled as the coronavirus pandemic hit the world - as did Liverpool's apparent spending power.
PREDICTED! FourFourTwo writers pick the players, managers, flops and signings of the season
Price could be a sticking point for both Real and Liverpool. Florentino Perez has freely admitted that buying players before they become stars - such as Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr and Reinier - serves Real better in a climate in which they cannot compete with the bigger spenders in Europe, while Liverpool have been cautious in the market this summer, choosing not to trigger Timo Werner's release clause early in the window.
While Kylian Mbappe is a generational talent well worthy of breaking the bank for, both clubs could find themselves priced out of signing him.
Manchester City were prepared to commit a lot of money at the Lionel Messi project and may well look to sign him for free when his contract expires next summer. They will certainly be interested in securing Mbappe too - especially with Sergio Aguero's contract ending next summer. City's rivals Manchester United, too, could throw their Jadon Sancho weight behind Mbappe instead - after all, they have a No.7 shirt free and waiting for him.
FFT INTERVIEW 'We tried to get Timo Werner at Tottenham': Former Spurs scout has his say on Chelsea's new signings
Chelsea can't be counted out either, given their free-spending this season. Roman Abramovich might see the opportunity to sign one of this decade's defining footballers as too big an opportunity to miss - similarly to how the Blues signed Kai Havertz recently. Juventus, too, will covet the Frenchman, and see him as the heir to an ageing Cristiano Ronaldo - who Mbappe reportedly idolises - while Barcelona's presidential candidates could well promise to bring Mbappe to Camp Nou as part of their pledges for power next summer.
The financial power of Paris Saint-Germain shouldn't be underestimated, however. Though Mbappe's motivations in the game are not just money-oriented, he does play for the richest side on Earth. They will move heaven and earth to keep him - potentially at Neymar's expense.
PSG have lost their opening two matches of the Ligue 1 campaign.
NOW READ...
EVERTON Everton's signings James Rodriguez and Allan give Carlo Ancelotti's midfield overdue revamp – and a cause for excitement
IN THE MAG Season Preview 2020/21! EVERY team rated in our 196-page summer special
GUIDE Premier League live stream best VPN: how to watch every game from anywhere in the world
