The Mbappé conundrum: good enough for any team, too expensive for most

We’re not sure shades will do enough to hide his identity while he tries to sneak out of Paris. Photograph: Mohammed Badra/EPA

FRENCH CONNECTION?

Following the revelation that Kylian Mbappé intends to leave Paris Saint-Germain when his contract expires this summer, Football Daily immediately presumed talk at today’s round of top-flight managerial press conferences would turn to potential destinations for the French superstar striker. “Are you eating a sandwich, in front of me, a Premier League manager?” we envisaged an apoplectic Chris Wilder inquiring, as a local reporter dabbed what looked like sauce from a Greggs chicken baguette from around his lips, before enquiring about the possibility of Mbappé pitching up at Bramall Lane on a free.

While all roads appear to lead to Real Madrid for the World Cup winner we are obliged to describe as “want-away”, it’s worth noting that we have been here before. Mbappé-to-Madrid rumours have long been grist for the rumour mills of broadsheet, tabloids, transfer gossip websites and click-baiting In The Know social media charlatans whose sister’s best friend once went out with the milkman of a Parisian tyre-fitter who was childhood friends with the PSG striker in the suburb of Bondy many years ago. Alas, it seems Mbappé’s move to Madrid might not be the foregone conclusion it might have seemed a year or two ago, given that the Spanish club are already reported to have made him a derisory offer he is finding all too easy to refuse.

Should Madrid chief suit Florentino Pérez decide, after years of ostentatious flirting, that signing Mbappé would actually be more financial hassle than the player is worth, Mbappé could find himself with a problem. Short of accepting a significant reduction in pay and agreeing to live off the kind of chicken-feed that would still constitute riches beyond the wildest dreams of most mere mortals, it’s difficult to imagine where else he could go. Good enough to play for any team on the planet but too expensive to pull on the jersey of most, one suspects Mbappé could always find a home in Saudi Arabia, a place he has previously declined to go.

Having failed to make a bid for Ivan Toney in January on the grounds that he was out of their price range and they would rather invest what resources they have elsewhere, Arsenal seem an unlikely club for Mbappé although that didn’t stop one reporter from asking Mikel Arteta about the possibility of the 25-year-old inking a contract and posing for photos alongside a big green dinosaur a few months down the line. “When there is a player of that calibre, we always have to be in that conversation,” cheered Arteta. One suspects that any conversation Arsenal, with their rigid pay structure, might have with the striker’s “people” might be a rather short one.

A move to Chelsea to link up once again with Mauricio Pochettino, who Mbappé previously managed while the Argentinian wasn’t really in charge at PSG, seems unlikely given the London club’s straitened circumstances, but a less fashionable Premier League side could be a good match. Largely credited with persuading a young Kylian to hitch his wagon to PSG seven years ago on the back of a rousing speech delivered to the then teenager and his family, who’s to say Unai Emery couldn’t do the same again? And if the player is prepared to knuckle down and form a partnership with Ollie Watkins, who’s to say he wouldn’t enjoy a season or two accepting plaudits from the denizens of Villa Park’s Holte End?

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE

Join John Brewin at 7.15pm (GMT) for minute-by-minute updates on Chelsea 3-2 Manchester City in the top-of-the-table WSL clash.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I get asked to shout two things in the street. The first is ‘And it’s live!’, which I do, while the second is the Agüero moment which I don’t do because you need to go somewhere special for something truly extraordinary” – Martin Tyler gets his chat on with Donald McRae about his life behind the mic, doing requests, his desire to meet Lionel Messi and coaching in non-league.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

The photo of Jürgen Klinsmann’s Zoom call (yesterday’s Quote of the Day) suggests that the South Korea team played a 3-2-5-5-1-8 formation at the Asian Cup. Perhaps I now understand their tactical difficulties at the tournament” – Mike Wilner.

Can I give Everton goalkeeper Richard Wright an honourable mention in the list of self-inflicted injuries (Football Daily letters passim)? Three years after damaging his shoulder falling out of a loft, in February 2006 he injured his ankle in the warm up at Goodison Park, when he fell over a sign that, if my memory serves me right, said ‘Do not warm up here’” – Alan Runswick.

How’s this for a shaggy-dog tale of freak knack?” – Lean Ka-Min.

The shirtless individual next to Steve Coppell must be Stan Ternent (yesterday’s Memory Lane), who was manager of Bury when we rose from Division Three to Division One in successive seasons, and went on to get Burnley promoted. The football at Gigg Lane wasn’t pretty, but it was effective, and he’s Bury’s most successful manager in my lifetime” – Mick Norris.

Send letters to [email protected]. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’ the day is … Mike Wilner.

NEWS, BITS AND BOBS

Roy Hodgson is expected to step down as Crystal Palace manager after being taken to hospital on Thursday, with Oliver Glasner ready to succeed him.

In shock news, Jürgen Klinsmann has been shoved through the South Korea door marked 하나를 수행 after the team’s semi-final exit to Jordan at the Asian Cup. “Coach Klinsmann failed to demonstrate leadership that we expected from the national team coach, including game management, player management and work attitude, which elevate the competitiveness of the national team,” squawked a KFA suit.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek gave England boss Gareth Southgate a nudge with two goals in Milan’s 3-0 win over Rennes in the first leg of their Big Vase knockout playoff.

TNT Sports has agreed a four-year deal with the FA to broadcast the FA Cup from the 2025-26 season. In a futile attempt to stop fans foaming at the mouth, the FA has ensured that “selected games” will still be available with a free-to-air broadcaster, whose identity will be announced at a later date

Southampton director of football, Jason Wilcox, is the latest target in the Sir Big Jim Ratcliffe behind-the-scenes rebuild at Manchester United. Talks with Newcastle’s Dan Ashworth remain ongoing and Eddie Howe is worried Newcastle secrets may end up at Old Trafford. Yikes!

Good news all round at Liverpool if you don’t believe in curses: Diogo Jota has been named Premier League player of the month for January, with Jürgen Klopp scooping the manager-of-the-month gong – and Mo Salah is set to return at Brentford, too.

And Newcastle striker Callum Wilson looks to be out of the running for England’s 2024 squad after being told he needs surgery for, here’s a new one, pectoral muscle-knack suffered during last Saturday’s win at Nottingham Forest.

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BORED

Gary Neville is bored of Manchester City. Yep, not only is he sick of seeing Pep Guardiola’s team leave United for dead in the Premier League title race season after season – City have averaged 21.6 points more than United over the last five campaigns – he now can’t even be bothered to watch them. Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Neville droned: “I didn’t switch Manchester City [v Copenhagen] on, on Tuesday night. I felt a bit bored. You just can’t watch City – it’s almost like they’ve ruined it a little bit.” Even voice of reason, Roy Keane, wasn’t having that but if the lack of jeopardy is dragging Neville down, the counter-force of wishful thinking is at least perking him up. “I can’t believe Pep is going to be around for more than 12 months or so,” said Neville, plotting United’s first title win since 2013. Now, if Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery and Ange Postecoglou follow Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp out of the door, it’s on!

STILL WANT MORE?

It’s Friday. It’s 10 things to look out for in the snooker Premier League this weekend!

Jermain Defoe talks to Louise Taylor about the new documentary, Defoe: For the Love of the Game, and reflects on his “magical” friendship with Sunderland mascot Bradley Lowery.

A three-way Glasgow title fight has delivered drama amid a women’s football boom in Scotland, writes Sophie Downey.

And Telford’s former chairman, Andy Pryce, on Rob Edwards’ journey from the Conference North to making waves in the Premier League with Luton.

MEMORY LANE

May 2009: With Bayer Leverkusen leading the race to win the Bundesliga this season, here’s a reminder of the last team to be crowned German champions who were not Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund. Big beers at the ready … well done Wolfsburg!

DALSTON-VEGAS!