Mbappe Real Madrid's 'only plan' - and a transfer budget is ready

Stuart Telford

• 22 Jun 2023 21:22 BST
• 3 min read

Kylian Mbappe is Real Madrid's first choice to replace Karim Benzema at the Bernabeu, and Harry Kane can forget about a move to Spain according to a report.

Benzema won the Ballon d'Or as recently as October but has now decided to finish his career with Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, where he will earn a reported €100 million a year.

Real have moved to replace Benzema, at least in part, with the acquisition of Espanyol veteran Joselu on loan, but the 33-year-old is hardly a long-term solution, and Madrid remain in the market for a striker in his prime.

READ: Haaland's inner circle claim Mbappe to Real Madrid is done deal

Brazilian prodigy Endrick will arrive from Palmeiras in the summer of 2024 when he turns 18, but as things stand, that means a full season of Real playing without a recognised world class striker.

According to Spanish journalist Jose Luis Sanchez, Madrid are planning with Mbappe.

No Kane or Havertz

"Madrid have the money ready to enable Mbappe's arrival," the Marca and La Sexta TV regular said. "He's their only plan - either for this summer or next. They're no longer interested in other names like Harry Kane or Kai Havertz."

READ: Jude Bellingham’s Real Madrid presentation date SET

Although Real recently spent an initial €103m on Jude Bellingham, and are paying for a comprehensive renovation of their Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, they had a reported transfer budget of more than €400m this summer.

While Mbappe is the most valuable player in world football per FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm at €136m, the chances of Real having to pay anything like that for the Paris Saint-Germain star are slim.

According to some reports, Mbappe recently told PSG that he had no desire to extend his stay in the French capital beyond next season, and although the player himself has denied any fall-out, it looks like this summer will be the last for his current employers to generate a significant fee.