Carlo Ancelotti has kept his cards close to his chest over Real Madrid's pursuit of Kylian Mbappe and whether the French forward will be plying his trade at the Santiago Bernabeu next season.
Last summer saw Los Blancos submit a number of mega-money bids to try and pry Mbappe away from Paris Saint-Germain, who subsequently refused to budge despite the eye-watering amount of money on offer from the Spaniards. The Parisians do not boast such power when the next transfer window rolls around.
This is due to the fact that Mbappe's current deal with the French giants expires at the end of this season, thus presenting the World Cup winner with the chance to sign for whoever he wishes without intervention from the PSG hierarchy. Real Madrid are thought to be his ideal destination, having made little secret of his admiration for the 13-time Champions League winners.
Real Madrid's efforts to sign Mbappe have not been without controversy, with directors from both clubs engaging in very public exchanges and accusations of tapping up made from the French side. As the summer window edges closer, the rate of speculation over Mbappe's future will ramp right up.
Ancelotti, now back at the helm of Real Madrid, was pressed for a comment on whether Mbappe is Bernabeu-bound, but the Italian opted to swerve the question and instead praise the club president.
"The future of this club, thanks to Florentino Perez, is at top level." the Los Blancos boss told Radio Rai. "And it will also be in the coming years, regardless of the players that may come." Some have interpreted his answer to still suggest Mbappe is on his way, as Perez has been spearheading the chase for the World Cup winner.
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However, there have been some reports that suggest those closest to Mbappe would prefer the striker to remain in the French capital. PSG are willing to do all they can to try and spring a shock and keep Mbappe, including a mega-money contract extension.
The 23-year-old has a verbal agreement in place with Real Madrid, but as things stand no paperwork of any kind has been signed. The level of noise has not served as a distraction on the pitch for Mbappe, who has been in stellar form all season.
The former Monaco man has netted 26 goals across all competitions so far this term, including two in both legs against none other than Real Madrid when the two sides met in the Champions League round of 16. Mbappe's goals were not enough as PSG were dumped out in a dramatic fashion.
