Unai Emery Admits Kylian Mbappé 'Seriously Considered' Swapping PSG for Real Madrid
By Tom Gott
Former Paris Saint-Germain manager Unai Emery has revealed that he had to plead with Kylian Mbappé not to join Real Madrid during his time at the club.
Emery was in charge in Paris when Mbappé first arrived in 2017, but the pair managed just one season together before Emery was relieved of his duties at the end of the 2017/18 campaign.
It was Mbappé's form that season which really attracted interest from Real, who remain infatuated with the Frenchman and are believed to be readying a big-money offer to secure his signature next summer.
Speaking to El Partidazo de COPE, Emery admitted that Mbappé has long admired Los Blancos and has already given serious thought to joining them.
"When I was in Paris, Mbappé seriously contemplated going to Real Madrid because it is a club that he likes very much. He was very excited about playing in Madrid," he revealed. "I had a conversation with him and with his father to convince him that he had to stay, leaving Paris is not easy."
Despite PSG's determination to keep hold of Mbappé, the 21-year-old will have just one year remaining on his contract next summer and has shown no signs of wanting to sign an extension.
Le Parisien claim that Real are readying an offer of €200m (£182m) to 'save the day' and ensure PSG don't lose Mbappé for nothing, and it is expected that the Frenchman would jump at the chance to join up with Zinedine Zidane's side.
However, Liverpool, Barcelona and Juventus are all named as potential competitors for his signature, although Real remain at the top of his wish list.
Real did not sign a single senior player this summer, and while that decision was made partly due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, it is also thought that Real wanted to save every penny they could to fund their pursuit of Mbappé next summer.
Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland is also on Zidane's wish list, while links to RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano and Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga remain.