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Report: Manchester City denies matching Real Madrid's €180M Mbappe bid

Reuters / Eric Gaillard Livepic

Manchester City strongly refutes reports that it's tabled a bid worth around €180 million for Kylian Mbappe, according to BBC Sport's David Ornstein, following ESPN FC's claim that the Premier League club was ready to match Real Madrid's colossal offer.

Los Blancos' alleged approach for Monaco's wunderkind would shatter the previous world record of €105 million plus add-ons that Manchester United paid for Paul Pogba last summer. City, however, apparently isn't prepared to meet the prices being tabled for the 18-year-old by Real Madrid.

Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev said during Wednesday's press conference that there was no agreement in place for Mbappe to join Real Madrid.

"There are offers," Vasilyev conceded, as reported by Kristof Terreur. "We want to extend his contract. The door for a transfer is not open."

In a window that has already seen Antoine Griezmann, Neymar, and others steal back pages rife with transfer speculation, Mbappe has perhaps installed himself as the leading protagonist. His speedy ascent into Europe's elite band of promising youngsters was monumental, with the kid from the Parisian suburbs being involved in more goals (37) than any other Monaco player. He scored or assisted every 71.2 minutes.

(Courtesy: @Squawka)

While Real Madrid tries to find another player with a Galactico billing, the Manchester City boardroom is simply striving to give manager Pep Guardiola a team capable of procuring silverware in his second season in charge. Around €240 million has been spent already, and the Spaniard's guardedness when quizzed on rumoured pursuits for Mbappe and Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez suggested that City's spree isn't over.

"We will see until the end of the transfer window," he told reporters ahead of Wednesday's meeting with Real Madrid in Los Angeles.

City's chief transfer broker, Txiki Begiristain, may be encouraged by the relationships he's cultivated this summer if he does make a serious approach for Mbappe. Two players have already swapped Monaco for Manchester ahead of the 2017-18 season, with versatile attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva and left-back Benjamin Mendy costing an approximate €106 million in total.

Mbappe became the first player to score in each of his first four Champions League knockout matches in 2016-17, and Manchester City was his victim on two of those occasions as Monaco reached the quarter-final stage at the English club's expense.

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