Madrid to Delay Mbappe Approach Till after UCL Clash

Real Madrid are tipped to delay their plans to approach Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe after the two sides were drawn against one another in the Champions League last 16.

Having initially been pitted against Benfica in the first draw, Real were handed a mouth-watering tie with PSG in the redraw – a decision which left Los Blancos fuming.

On top of reunions with Keylor Navas, Achraf Hakimi, Sergio Ramos and Angel Di Maria, the match will also see Mbappe turn out against the side he could join just a few months later.

Mbappe is on course to leave PSG as a free agent in the summer and Real had planned to open formal negotiations in January when he enters the final six months of his contract and is eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement to secure his next move.

But AS note that Los Blancos are feeling more than a little uncomfortable about that now.

With two meetings with PSG set for 15 February and 9 March, Real do not want to be accused of unsettling Mbappe and the Ligue 1 leaders by moving for him immediately, and there are also fears that he would be slated by PSG fans if he was found to have spoken to Real before the tie.

As a result, Real will push back their plans to speak with Mbappe and will only do so after that second leg on 9 March, with the expectation that they will still be able to sign him anyway.

L’Equipe takes a similar approach and rule out an imminent agreement, but this report also states that a possible extension with PSG is also off the table until after the game.

PSG remain in talks with Mbappe and are believed to be preparing one last offer of a new deal, but there has been no progress and all the signs suggest he will ultimately walk away from the Parc des Princes when his current deal expires on 30 June.

Both clubs are keen to protect Mbappe publicly and do not want fans to turn on him for ‘trying to leave’, so everything is expected to be put on hold until March.