Transfer fee

Right off the bat, I would not pay what PSG are going to ask for.

Mbappe’s contract expires this summer, but they reportedly retain a one-year extension option (although there has been some disputing this). They will trigger the clause to ensure they get the transfer fee they want – north of £150m and maybe even above £200m.

That would be our entire transfer budget gone for next season.

Whilst Mbappe is a world class performer, we need more than a single signing to remain competitive into next season. His recruitment will mean no further midfield or defensive reinforcements.

Personally, I would rather see us spend in the region of £60m on a new striker (Ivan Toney), £50m on a new midfielder (Zubimendi?) and have another £40m to potentially buy another winger and central defender, rather than spend £150m+ on Mbappe. And if Mbappe is “free”, he would merely demand the transfer fee to be paid as an additional singing on fee.

Wages

And the wages Mbappe will demand will be ludicrous.

He is reportedly being around £1m a week by PSG. I can not imagine him leaving for much less than that.

Paying a single player north of £500k a week is structure breaking. It will cause ramifications throughout the squad and will be a misappropriate use of funds.

The other issue is he turns 26 towards the end of this year. Whoever buys him will be tying up a huge fee and massive wages for a player who could soon fall off a cliff.

The cliff

Mbappe made his debut before his 17th birthday.

He was just 18 when he joined PSG and had already played 60 senior games for Monaco. In December, he turns 26. He would have played in excess of 450 games for club and country by this point, in a senior career that would have seen him play regular week in week out football for 8 seasons.

Mbappe relies a lot on his explosive pace. The way he burst onto the scene and stayed there, alongside his reliance on pace, makes comparisons to Michael Owen and Fernando Torres easy.

At 26, Owen was a busted flush. He had left Real Madrid and was sitting in Newcastle’s medical room week in week out. His career might as well have ended there. Likewise, Torres was also on the wain at 26.

The Torres story is the warning for those looking to spend big on Mbappe – Chelsea spent £50m bringing the Spaniard to the club and it quickly became clear that he was not the player he once was. In his 4 and a half years at the club Torres would score just 20 Premier League goals.

Now both Torres and Own did suffer injuries throughout their career, whilst Mbappe has stayed relatively clear from any issues. But I would be surprised if Mbappe is still playing at his current level in 2-3 years time.

And as we saw with Thierry Henry, when a player who has such blistering pace begins to lose it, they fall off the cliff.

But what about Messi and Ronaldo?

What makes Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo the greatest two footballers of all time was the way they reinvented themselves as their physical attributes changed.

Both begun their careers as rapid, tricky wingers. By the time their European careers ended they were very different players.

Ronaldo turned himself from a fancy dan trick merchant into an out and out number 9, whilst Messi went one stage further and went from winger to number 9, then played deeper in the 10.

I am not sure Mbappe has either the capability or drive to adapt his game as his natural pace reduces. He is already behind Ronaldo and Messi in terms of his deadliness in front of goal, and he does not have either of their technique.

Once Mbappe’s pace is gone, he will be done.

The Man

Mbappe clearly thinks he is bigger than PSG, and his influence on both the dressing room and wider structure of the club has been evident for decades,

The fact he has announced he will leave when it is not his choice shows his character.

I have always felt Mbappe and Neymar are bad eggs which is why both decided to stay in PSG so long. no top club would tolerant either demands.

Whoever signs Mbappe will be getting someone who has been pampered in France all his career and never faced the challenge of playing for a top club.

I also wonder if he can handle the physicality of playing Premier League football week in week out compared to Ligue 1 which is a level below. He certainly will not get the protection he gets from referees.

A chip on his shoulder, if he comes to the Premier League, my theory is he will be complaining about the weather, the food and the rough treatment within 6-months.

Kylian Mbappe – Arsenal will be right to stay well clear.

Keenos

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