Real Madrid offered $236 million to sign Kylian Mbappe from PSG just a year before the world champion runs out of contract, but the Paris giants weren’t open to any kind of talks.
Real made a surprise move and agreed to a $36 million deal with Rennes for 18-year-old midfielder Eduardo Camavinga on deadline day. The transfer window for clubs in Western Europe closed at midnight on Tuesday.
Camavinga is regarded as one of the best products in French football right now. The transfer fee could go up by $10.6 million if certain performance clauses are met. Camavinga would have been out of contract next year too, just like Mbappe. Manchester United was also highly interested in landing Camavinga, who has already made his debut for the French seniors’ national team.
PSG didn’t respond to Real’s proposal
Having already made two unsuccessful attempts, Real Madrid pushed again on deadline day to sign Mbappe. Despite issuing a press release saying “no official offer had been made,” behind the scenes, Real stayed confident that they would finally get their man. Mbappe was eager to join Real, having rejected PSG’s several approaches for a new contract.
PSG didn’t respond to any of the offers they got from Real Madrid, maintaining their stance not to sell their star in 2021. PSG basically sent a message to the entire world of football saying the Champions League is the top priority at Parc des Princes. The club is taking the risk of losing Mbappe for free next summer to offer coach Mauricio Pochettino the best attacking trio in world football. Along with Messi and Neymar, Mbappe is a key element in PSG’s deadly offensive line.
PSG spent $210 million to sign Mbappe in 2018, with the player initially moving to Paris on loan for a season. Leonardo Araujo, PSG’s sporting director, revealed that Mbappe wanted to leave for Real Madrid, but insisted he is still part of the plans at Parc des Princes.
In January, Mbappe can sign for any club he agrees to terms with, then move for free at the end of the campaign. PSG can still cash in on him in the first month of 2022. It’s difficult to imagine Real Madrid returning with a similar monetary proposal six months before being able to have him for free.
🤠#WelcomeCamavinga ðŸ¤
👉 @Camavinga pic.twitter.com/qECpcYxw0F— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 31, 2021
Camavinga, the future of French football
Born in a refugee camp in Angola to parents from Congo, Camavinga is the youngest player to represent the French seniors’ national team since 1917. Educated in Rennes’ academy, Camavinga first played for France at the age of 17 years, nine months, and 29 days. His Ligue 1 debut came a year before when he was just 16. Spanish paper Marca describes him as Real’s “new lung”.
The past season was his third with Rennes’ first team. In total, Camavinga played 88 times for the Brittany club, scoring twice. For the French national team, he has already played on three occasions, netting once. Unlike Mbappe, Camavinga isn’t part of the squad selected by Didier Deschamps to face Bosnia, Ukraine, and Finland in the World Cup Qualifiers. The games take place on Sept. 1, 4, and 7, respectively.
