PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN chief Leonardo has slammed Real Madrid over their ‘illegal and unacceptable’ £137million bid to land Kylian Mbappe.
But the French giants say they will not stand in the way of the former Monaco striker if the right offer comes in from the Bernabeu.
The money put on the table for the 22-year-old is LESS than what his current club paid for him four years ago.
And Leonardo believes it is a deliberate strategy from Madrid to land him on a free when he is out of contract in summer 2022.
He said: “Kylian Mbappe wants to join Real Madrid and we will not hold him back. We said no to Madrid’s first offer but if our conditions are met, we’ll see.
“We’ll allow it but on our conditions. Kylian always promised us he will not leave for free.
“It seems like a strategy from Madrid to try to get a ‘no’ from us, to show that they have tried everything and to wait for a year to get him for free.”
Leonardo added: “For the last two years the behaviour of Madrid has been incorrect, illegal, getting in contact with his representatives, unacceptable, completely incorrect towards us.
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“And the proof of this strategy is to present an offer seven days before the market shuts and a year before the end of his contract. It seems like a strategy that suggests they have tried everything.
“I’m not going to get into figures but the €160m [£137m] is less than we paid for him. But this goes further than this. It’s the way things have been done.
“It’s disrespectful. We have done everything for Kylian to be with us and one week [from close of market] we are not going to change plans.
“If a player wants to go, he goes, but under our conditions.”
Real Madrid supremo Florentino Perez was asked about the bid and said: “They have already answered – and rudely.”
If PSG do land a sizeable windfall in the next few days, it could lead them to renew their interest in Manchester United ace Paul Pogba.
The Red Devils have a dilemma looming with the French international – who has less than 12 months on his existing deal – refusing to sign a new deal at Old Trafford.
A possible move to the Parc des Princes ground to a halt after they swooped for Lionel Messi earlier this month.
And Pogba has made an encouraging start to the season for United – turning in top stats in training despite his later return to Carrington.
The arrival of his France international team-mate Raphael Varane from Real Madrid has also given the midfielder a lift.
So Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be praying there is no more contact from PSG and that the 28-year-old can be persuaded to commit his future to United.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
