By Peter Ochieng
Spanish topflight, La Liga president Javier Tebas believes the outgoing Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe will join Real Madrid ahead of the 2024/2025 season.
“He’s Madrid’s next season, yes,” Tebas told Argentine daily sports newspaper Ole, as quoted by AFP.
Last weekend, the 25-year-old France captain announced that he is leaving PSG at the end of his contract this summer.
“Many years where I had the chance and the great honour to be a member of the biggest French club which allowed me to arrive here, to have my first experience in a club with a lot of pressure, to grow as a player of course by being alongside some of the best in history, some of the greatest champions. To meet a lot of people, to grow as a man as well with all the glory and mistakes I’ve made,” he said in a video posted online.
The speedy winger did not specify his destination, but Madrid are poised to sign him on a free transfer after years of failed attempts. He is PSG’s all-time record scorer with 256 goals.
Mbappe joined PSG in 2017 from Monaco, with the greatest motivation being winning the Champions League. He failed spectacularly, as the closest PSG came close to winning the title with Mbappe in its ranks, was during the 2020 final when the French giants lost 0-1 to Bayern Munich.
By joining Madrid, Tebas believes Mbappe will stand a big chance of finally holding his hands onto the trophy with ‘big ears.’
“If they’ve signed a five-year deal, he has five seasons of opportunity to win the Champions League,” said Tebas.
He is set to join a star-studded Madrid team, led by Brazil’s Vinicius Junior and England international Jude Bellingham.
“Mbappe is one of the best players in the world, but Vinicius and Bellingham are there too, Madrid will have a great squad. But that does not guarantee you will win leagues,” added the La Liga boss.
Los Blancos strolled to the Lal Liga title this season, and are in the Champions League final, where they play Borussia Dortmund on June 1, at the Wembley stadium in London, England.
A win will guarantee Carlo Ancelotti’s side a record 15th title.