Right off the bat, it needs to be made clear that if and when Kylian Mbappe leaves Paris Saint-Germain, his most likely destination is Real Madrid. However, with so much toxicity and antagonistic tendency between the two parties now, it can’t be ruled out that PSG only accept bids from Premier League clubs for Mbappe.
Of course, it is likely, and possible, that Mbappe will reject advances from other parties not named Real Madrid, but hypothetically, it is worth looking at the Premier League team best fit for Kylian Mbappe.
Firstly, with the finances involved in any deal for the Frenchman, 16 Premier League can safely be ruled out. In the conventional top-six, Arsenal have already spent close to €250 million while Tottenham have stadium payments hanging over their head. Daniel Levy is more likely to sell Harry Kane for free than he is to buy Mbappe for the figures involved.
Therefore, four teams remain, and even in those four, Liverpool are huge outsiders despite previous links to him. A club that walked away from the Jude Bellingham deal when the asking price reached triple figures is unlikely to bid for a player valued at more than twice that number.
It comes down to the Manchester clubs, and Chelsea, who seem to have an endless pit of cash. We break down the fit of Mbappe at these three clubs :
Manchester United
Erik ten Hag has had a blinder of a transfer window so far and with the prospect of new owners through the door, Mbappe, although a pipe dream, is still a more realistic prospect than for other clubs in the PL.
Keeping the finances aside, Mbappe doesn’t make a ton of sense from a sporting perspective.
He pretty much shook PSG upside down because he didn’t want to play as a conventional striker, a position United seek an upgrade in. Rather, he wants to play on the left wing to feel more involved in the overall game instead of being just a finisher.
United have just handed a lucrative five-year contract to a homegrown star who plays in that position. Marcus Rashford, at this point, is pretty much Mr. Manchester United. To displace him from his favoured spot to accommodate a player who is less likely to track back, thus sacrificing the balance of the team is sporting harakiri.
Therefore, among the three remotely realistic prospects for Mbappe in the Premier League, Manchester United make the least sense.
Manchester City
Manchester City are on this list purely because everyone knows that if they wanted to, they could buy any player in the world for any amount of money. The fact that they are smart with their outlay is a good reflection of the business practices of the people involved instead of any frugality from the owners.
As a squad, Manchester City don’t need much. Maybe a Riyad Mahrez replacement to keep the team strength where it was in his presence but they don’t actually lack anything in the attacking department.
However, in terms of a sporting fit, City make a lot of sense. They have Erling Haaland fixed at the striker spot and currently, Jack Grealish plays on the left. There is a clear vacancy for Mbappe to come in and immediately play that role. Grealish can shift inside or on the right, effectively replacing Mahrez.
Buying Mbappe to replace Mahrez is overkill, and it is definitely not happening, but in City’s case, both financial and sporting context makes sense.
Also, who wouldn’t want to see Haaland and Mbappe in the same team after years of wishing for Messi and Ronaldo to do so? All of world football except City fans perhaps!
Chelsea
This is the project that makes the most sense from a sporting pov, with the club having the finances to pull it off. Chelsea have skirted away from FFP worries expertly with a blindingly successful selling window so far.
Owner Todd Boehly is clearly not reticent to loosen his purse strings for quality talent. Chelsea are crying out for a clinical goalscorer at the far end of the pitch.
If they can convince Mbappe to give them a chance, then this is the most realistic move for the Frenchman in the Premier League with also the best fit.