Report: Zidane wants Bale sacrificed for Mbappe; Barcelona enters race
Neymar's seemingly inevitable world-record switch from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain could incite a Clasico brawl that topples Gareth Bale into a transfer merry-go-round.
Desperate to appease fans disgruntled by Neymar's expected departure, Barcelona has joined the hunt for Kylian Mbappe, according to The Telegraph, putting the Catalonians in direct competition with Manchester City and, most tantalisingly, with archrival Real Madrid.
L'Equipe reported late Wednesday that Barcelona has already held talks with Mbappe's representatives about a move, and that the in-demand marksman had informed Monaco he wants to leave after seeing Bernardo Silva, Benjamin Mendy, and Tiemoue Bakayoko seek pastures new in the close season.
Real Madrid's pursuit of Mbappe has slowed in recent days, but the club remains confident in beating competition to Monaco's teenage sensation, Marca's Carlo Carpio reports. The delay pertains to bonuses in the paperwork - one of which is a €25-million payment to the Ligue 1 outfit if Mbappe wins the Ballon d'Or while on Los Blancos' books - although there could be another lag if manager Zinedine Zidane's wish is granted first.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Carpio understands Zidane will look to offload Bale if Mbappe's arrival is agreed, with the Welshman's recent injury issues aiding his boss' decision. Zidane isn't lending concern to the club's finances, he just doesn't want to exceed three frontmen as he tries to share playing time at the Bernabeu. He's already granted the sale of Alvaro Morata to Chelsea and loan departure of James Rodriguez to Bayern Munich this summer, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and either Bale or Mbappe as his main weaponry.
And if Zidane continues to deploy a 4-4-2 formation with Isco spearheading a midfield diamond, one of that triumvirate will be forced to sit out while the other two lead the frontline.
Bale is believed to be open to returning to English football if a team lodges a bid worth somewhere close to €100 million and he's told he's not wanted in the Spanish capital. Manchester United would be a chief contender for his signature, but Chelsea could also swoop in.
Hold onto your caps. This transfer storm could get a lot crazier before it settles.