Real Madrid offloaded five players including Odegaard to Arsenal for ‘Mbappe fund’ only for PSG star to snub transfer
REAL MADRID got rid of five players last season to accommodate Kylian Mbappe’s signing – only for the Frenchman to stay at Paris Saint-Germain.
The striker, 23, put pen to paper on a lucrative three-year deal with the French champions despite months of talk he could join Real.
Sergio Perez will be hit particularly hard by Mbappe’s decision after several attempts at persuading him to make a move.
According to , the Los Blancos chief even told Carlo Ancelotti that several players would be sold to make way for Mbappe’s wages, while the Italian was only allowed to sign two players – David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga.
In return, Martin Odegaard was sold to Arsenal for £34million while star centre-back Raphael Varane made the switch to Manchester United.
His long-term defensive partner Sergio Ramos was also snatched away by PSG with Real unwilling to continue paying him big money.
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In 2020 Real Madrid also let two young defenders leave with now PSG star Achraf Hakimi being sold to Inter for £40m.
Another promising young full-back, Sergio Reguilon, was sold to Tottenham in 2020 despite showing early promise at Sevilla.
Real’s mad obsession with signing Mbappe also had a knock-on effect in their pursuit of Erling Haaland.
The club were keen on both but knew they would not be able to afford Haaland if they signed Mbappe this summer with his contract expiring.
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But in waiting for the Norwegian Manchester City were able to pounce, activating his release clause to pinch him from Borussia Dortmund.
To make matters worse for Real they even had an agreement in place for the World Cup winner,
La Liga are fuming Mbappe has U-turned on the agreement and they are set to file a complaint against PSG for “attacking the stability of football“.