Rumour has it that Harry Maguire is moving to West Ham. That would be a good move for him, IMO. Since he's no longer a starter player in the Man U squad.

Vibe wrote:Does that make Vini a striker then? He would just drift left all the time, how can a player like that be effective centrally?

And who is the other striker, Joselu?

I am just confused. Why would you even consider that shape when it hinders your best players and why would you shove Rodrygo and Guler somewhere they don't belong when Fede is obviously natural there.

Mbappe!

Once PSG pays half of this year’s loyalty bonus to Mbappe at the end of July, things will get interesting.

The sense is that personal terms is already agreed upon roughly. It comes down to the fee to PSG and the bonus to Mbappe. Think it’s going to take 250-300 mil to get the deal done this summer (150-200 to PSG, 100 to Mbappe).

Given that we haven’t aggressively pursued any other scorer despite Benz leaving…. Good likelihood imo.

After today’s discussions / threats by both parties, i wouldn’t be surprised if PSG tries to renege on July 31st payment! PSG is making all kinds of statements that they can’t really back up. They can’t force Mbappe to sign a renewal and the latest threat to bench him for the year is just ridiculous. Benching best player (or maybe 2nd)!!  It could end up with a similar court battle like Neymar and Barcelona!

Sports, you keep saying Madrid should just pay whatever PSG is demanding! Why? Perez holds the advantage. Club is good enough to compete without Mbappe for a year. The other clubs you say are potential, in reality are not at all, as I have detailed before. Let PSG and Mbappe sort it out and sit back! That’s exactly what Flo is doing and at end up day, give Mbappe what he is asking for (except for the LW insistence), Lol, and low ball the offer to PSG, 100 to 150 range. Argument to PSG is 100 or so or nothing in a year!

In a way, a delay of Mbappe for a year could be beneficial. We likely won’t win CL, but this squad will be talented and competitive.

Carlo is saying he wants to use skills he has and wants to experiment with different combination of 4 midfielders.

I think we can agree the Vinicius is not yet a finished product and Rodrygo still hasn’t broken out as a top player plus his position is questionable. Having a full year where the two of them alone up front will help both of them in their development. Plus there is Joselu and Brahim to provide relief when needed, that alone is a big improvement over past few years.

If we have to wait a year, we end up with a clearer idea of future midfield, presumably improved Vinicius and Rodrygo plus incoming Mbappe, Endick and Davies!!!

@Bill - because with Mbappe, we can legitimately win CL again and play for a treble.  Without him, unlikely.  Second, we are the only game in town right now for Mbappe.  In one year... that can change.  He loves Klopp and Liverpool but they're not in CL next year so it disqualifies them.  Same with Chelsea.  If both Liverpool and Chelsea make it to CL the next season, then they suddenly become viable.

The current price takes all but Madrid out of the game regardless of CL.   Next summer...  the number of teams that can afford him becomes 5-7.  

In short...  strike while the iron is hot.   Too many variables to deal with next summer although Madrid would likely pay less IF Mbappe chooses to come then (big if).

Unless economically unviable, i prefer to take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves.

You’re still missing my point. PSG can’t force Mbappe and after all they have said, the only option they have is to sell him to Madrid, and therefore PSG has to accept what Madrid will pay. As I said start at 100M, that certainly isn’t peanuts and be willing to go to 150, the lowest of what PSG will likely accept, and save face!

And you still are disrespecting the talent that is already in place with Madrid. I will agree that with him club will be on top, but he isn’t the only talent.

PSG doesn't have to do anything either just like Mbappe.  They're not motivated by money.   If Madrid offers a price that makes PSG owners "lose face", I feel that they will rather let him go for free. I think 150-200 million is an amount that allows PSG to walk away.

Just my opinion.

sportsczy wrote:PSG doesn't have to do anything either just like Mbappe.  They're not motivated by money.   If Madrid offers a price that makes PSG owners "lose face", I feel that they will rather let him go for free. I think 150-200 million is an amount that allows PSG to walk away.

Just my opinion.

You’re contradicting yourself! PSG has been trashing Mbappe saying he must renew or else they will sell! He on the other hand is saying I will play to end of my contract but will not renew. are you suggesting they will let him stay the year and get nothing for him next summer? Cause if you are, it’s definitely isn’t what you said before nor what PSG has publicly said!

I am saying let them battle it out, one party has to give in!

If Mbappe does sign, then it was all another drama case of using Perez to get a better contract.

If PSG gives in, then they will ask for a price and it will be then up to Perez to make a bid. I am suggesting that he can offer something lower than the asking price. If PSG wants to be hard nosed about it, they risk getting nothing next summer or they can negotiate with Perez.

I don’t know why you persist with this PSG dictating terms. It’s normal business to negotiate.

PSG is trying to force Mbappe to either extend or, feel so unhappy, that he'll forego the extra money to just get out of PSG.  It's a dirty trick.  I don't think Mbappe is falling for it obviously.  It would make PSG seem like the party that won if Mbappe caved in. It about appearances (PSG making an ultimatum is all PR; it's an empty threat).

They're also trying to make Mbappe appear as the villain so that, whether he leaves this summer or the next, the fans don't get angry at PSG.   Again, another dirty trick to make themselves appear better as Mbappe exits.

All of it is to save face and not get the fans angry at PSG... but at Mbappe.

With the amount of money they throw away every year, it can't be anything but pride, ego, and appearances for PSG... nothing else.  If PSG and Madrid had a better relationship, it would have gone another way too imo.  The poor relationship makes it that much more of an issue.

Luis Enrique is going to designate the team that will go to Japan on July 22 for PSG tomorrow after their friendly... interesting to see if Mbappe is on it. If he's not, there are going to be fireworks lol.

Sports, it still comes down to what I said. Mbappe refuses and will stay and then PSG us left with a choice, sell now and negotiate with Perez or suck it in, with all nonsense done and get nothing next summer.

What you are saying that they don’t care about money is a ridiculous statement.

They have tried to change entire marketplace and have failed miserably.

They only have managed to avoid ffs because of corrupt Ceferin in having chair of ffs committee.

They have tried to hold players accountable to contracts and yet when they want them out; Neymar and now Mbappe, their hypocrisy is obvious. It will be Perez who will set the standard for dealing with these hypocrites.

It’s time to set new proper standards for ownerships.

They do not care about money in the sense that a transfer fee of less than 200 million is a loss for them... that's what all the pundits are saying in France.  Mbappe's marketability brings in a lot of cash so selling him for less is actually a net loss as opposed to keeping him.

But more importantly, making Mbappe (and Madrid) look bad so that they can deflect the blame of losing him AND do not look weak are the primary goals.  More than the money, they want to keep face. If it was about business, you wouldn't publicly attack the player you want to keep or even sell.  How is that a winning strategy if you want to keep Mbappe or raise Mbappe's value?  It's all about appearances.  I'm frankly surprised they're not slandering Madrid more aggressively too...  but maybe they actually think Madrid will pay up the 200 mil and PSG don't want to antagonize.  That's why i think he may come this summer.  If there was no possible deal with Madrid, i would expect PSG to bash Madrid left and right.

In any case, they've created a scenario where Mbappe is the black sheep so that fans are ok with him leaving. That's why the noise has died down... mission is accomplished from a PR standpoint.

You aren’t saying anything much about French fans. To have viewed Mbappe as the hero to French NT, to now buy into bs that Mbappe is somehow responsible for the massive failures of PSG, esp. when that team had so many top players in addition to Mbappe.

It’s really sad when the average fan believes bullshit, just like in the US with Trump!

In any event, I guess we will never agree on this. I do think Mbappe will come this summer, but I still say it will be on Mbappe’s terms and Flo will pay a fee to PSG, but not the 200M that PSG is demanding.

It's not an indictment on Mbappe tbh... PSG fans are just tired of Neymar, Mbappe, Messi, etc being the focus as opposed to the club and how the club is doing. Tired of Galacticos (like we were in the mid 2000s). Want to get back to football.

Generally speaking, the French do not like very successful people who show it. A lot of jealousy. So it's always better for a French star to go to a foreign club and enjoy their lives as opposed to doing it in France. Just a cultural thing (which i don't like).

Mbappe has become too big for Ligue 1.

Im sure Mbappe will be going to Japan

But the whole pre season thing means very little imo. Players have trained and toured for preseason then still made a move afterwards

Marca literally has a live ticker of everything that Mbappe does HERE: https://www.marca.com/futbol/psg/2023/07/21/64ba154af3426a0027f075f5-directo.html

It's titled "Mbappe hoy, en directo". lol. Either Marca is insane or they really have a sense he's coming.  Has Marca ever done a live ticker on a player like this?

Lol Sports, who is more excited about Mbappe coming? You or Marca?

I know you don’t like Perez, but I think he isn’t getting the credit he deserves.

He has been severely criticized here and elsewhere for not buying sufficient reenforcement over past years, despite winning CL or going far most of these years plus dealing with covid impact of finances and new stadium finances.

Now in just a few of years, he has provided team with highly valued talent in both midfield and forwards as well finally gotten rid of deadwood on team. Only thing left is defense which no doubt will happen in next couple of years. And Mbappe is just one more piece of the rebuilding puzzle, an important one no doubt, that sounds like it will happen.

It makes it MUCH easier for me if he comes lol. I don't have to follow a team I don't like (PSG) just to watch one of my favorite players (I have 3 favorite players right now - Mbappe, Haaland, and Modric).

Guess what... Mbappe showed up at practice in time, was ready for the first preseason game, and played it well today. Neymar, Verratti, etc. were not. Whatever else you may think of him, you cannot deny that he's a pro.

@Bill - If Mbappe doesn't come, we do not have a reliable scorer. Like zero. I can't believe that Flo would let this happen unless he felt that Mbappe was coming. That's just my personal feeling.

Flo has done great with recruiting the new generation. However, on attack, we have problems. Even with Mbappe, I feel like we're very thin.

Confirmed by L'Equipe. Mbappe is being ostracized by PSG: https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Article/Kylian-mbappe-ecarte-du-stage-au-japon-par-le-psg/1409534

I don’t disagree Sports, but again you are ignoring how much Vinicius has developed. He still needs to mature and control emotions better, but he is definitely a threat every time he has the ball. You also ignore Rodrygo! I’ll agree he hasn’t yet broken out but he is slowly. His issue is more one of what is his correct position. Then there is Endick coming next year. I know you don’t like raw recruits, but they have been working out lately for Perez. Then add in the addition of bench strength Joselu and Brahim who are definitely better than what we had for past few years and have demonstrated ability to score. Plus we can expect more goals from midfield specifically in Bellingham and Güler, if he makes the cut.

But you are right, Flo would have signed Kane or someone like him if he didn’t believe Mbappe would be coming. But he was fooled before by Mbappe and the cost cost of that was he didn’t get Haaland!

Bill see my post above ^^^^ !!!!

Mbappe to Madrid may be happening

ÚLTIMA HORA MBAPPÉ

Florentino Pérez y Nasser Al Khelaifi tuvieron AYER una REUNIÓN.

Kylian Mbappé NO viajará a la gira de Japón.

El deseo del Real Madrid es que la estrella parisina esté PRESENTE en el Clásico de Estados Unidos.

¡Fin boom! ¡Al lío! SHHHHH pic.twitter.com/lQElBxjtfw

— François Gallardo (@F_GallardoTV) July 21, 2023