If Ronaldo’s Champions League heroics was the talk of the town, the story of rising Frenchman Kylian Mbappe was nowhere lagging behind. The teenage sensation from Monaco was instrumental in the French side’s Champions League run and a historic Ligue 1 trophy. The 18-year old almost scored at will, and ended up with 26 goals for the Gallic side. The Monaco number 29 soon became the number one target for the elite clubs in Europe. With likes of Real Madrid and Arsenal chasing him wildly, the youngster ultimately found a new destination in the French capital.
https://twitter.com/Soccer_Laduma/status/918091319112761349
Mbappe’s transfer saga
Kylian Mbappe was rumored to be close to signing for many top clubs in Europe. It was always in the news that Real Madrid may announce him any day, with occasional interests from Barcelona also coming up as a highlight in the transfer window. The youngster was finally signed by French giants Paris Saint Germain, initially on loan which will be made permanent next season. The Parisians also signed Neymar from Barcelona for a world record transfer fees this summer.
But it is still a matter of contemplation that why did the starlet join the Parisians instead of the Los Blancos. With Mbappe’s childhood idol Zinedine Zidane managing the club, it seemed obvious that he might move to Spain, but things didn’t go as planned. The answer to this question is provided by agent Josep Maria Minguella, who claims that Mbappe never wanted to move to the Santiago Bernabeu. The reason behind reluctance was the fear of game time under the BBC.
https://twitter.com/GaffneyVLC/status/920945544163446785
Barcelona was Mbappe’s dream destination
Agent Josep Maria Minguella, the man credited for discovering Messi from Rosario has claimed that the French starlet wanted to join Barcelona. Speaking to Spanish radio station Cadena COPE he said,
“Mbappe said he only wanted to sign for Barcelona when he learned that Neymar was going to PSG.
“Barca could’ve had Mbappe for €120m + €30m. I spoke to his father and he only wanted to join Barca as he’d have loved to play with Messi.”
Minguella, considered very close to the Catalans said that he had informed the club president about the opportunity to sign the wonderkid but things didn’t move further.
“It’s difficult to get through to Bartomeu. I told him via a mutual friend that Neymar was done and that he should’ve signed Mbappe.”
https://twitter.com/SquawkaNews/status/921264974349074433
Author’s Take
Although Barcelona were never considered a contender in the Mbappe race, the former Monaco starlet would have been a valuable addition to the Camp Nou. Barcelona on the other hand were focused on Dembele and Coutinho as their top targets. Though they missed out on Coutinho, Dembele showed some promise before being sidelined for a long-term injury. Meanwhile, Mbappe has been enjoying his time in PSG. The teenager has performed well alongside Cavani and Neymar, with the latter asserting that he would help Mbappe in same way Messi used to help him.
