Real Madrid No Longer Interested In Signing Kylian Mbappe

The Real Madrid train may have finally gone past French forward Kylian Mbappe, who has been heavily linked with the club for what is now an uncomfortable number of seasons. Now, reports coming out of Spain are claiming that the Spanish giants have finally decided to drop their pursuit of the Frenchman.

Los Blancos published a statement earlier this week stating that there have been no negotiations between the club and Mbappe, who is currently playing with Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain. They may have put out that the statement to cover themselves from any legal action from PSG, given that clubs are not allowed to open talks with the player before the January transfer window begins.

However, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has also put that matter to bed by saying that the club is not planning on signing any new players in January.

"We are not planning to sign any player in January. I think the January market is OFF for us, definitely. Militão and Courtois will return before the end of the season. Nothing is set to happen in January. In summer, maybe... let's see," Ancelotti said, when he was recently quizzed by the press on his transfer plans.

While Ancelotti did drop a hint that the club will be open to signing new players in the summer of 2024, Spanish outlet CadenaSER claims that Mbappe is not part of that plan. In fact, even if the striker is available on a free transfer next summer, Real Madrid are not keen on taking him onboard anymore.

What is Mbappe's contract situation?

The three-way transfer saga between Mbappe, PSG and Real Madrid has been dragging on for several seasons. The player's current contract with the Ligue 1 champions expires in June 2024, but he has the option to extend by another year.

However, this summer, he made it clear that he did not want to take up that option, leading to a fallout with club management. Mbappe was banished from pre-season activities, but he was eventually welcomed back into the fold at the start of the season after talks were made behind closed doors.

It is now being rumoured that Mbappe agreed to forego loyalty bonuses so that PSG can allow him to leave under his own terms once his contract expires. If nothing changes in the next eight months, he will be available on a free transfer at the end of the current campaign.

Why did Real Madrid's interest cool down?

Getting Mbappe on a free transfer sounds like a bargain considering how Real Madrid were willing to drop something in the vicinity of 200 million euros for him just two summers ago. Now, it is understood that the player will seek a huge signing bonus and a salary that will set the Spanish giants back by around €20 million (£17.4m) per year. That's a huge amount even for a club as wealthy as Real Madrid.

Furthermore, Los Blancos have recently made a huge investment in 20-year-old Jude Bellingham. They have also signed long-term extensions with a handful of young players like Eduardo Camavinga (20 years old, extended until 2029), Rodryo Goes (22 years old, extended until 2028) and Aurelien Tchouameni (23 years old, extended until 2028).

In contrast, Mbappe will be turning 25 this December. He won't be old, but the club has clearly been investing much younger players who do not cost nearly as much as the Frenchman. Those investments have also been paying off, with Bellingham currently being La Liga's top scorer. The other youngsters have also become important parts of the squad, providing Ancelotti the luxury of resting veteran stars like Luka Modric and Toni Kroos when needed.

Florentino Perez is also a proud man, and after having made several attempts to sign Mbappe in the past, he won't be too keen on making any bold moves. No one can forget the way the transfer was massively hyped up in 2022, only for Mbappe to suddenly announce a contract extension with PSG.