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Liverpool Echo

Sport

Dave Powell

PSG have '£260m' problem that could clear path for coveted Liverpool transfer

Liverpool Paris Saint-Germain Kylian Mbappe Real Madrid Darwin Nunez Florentino Perez Jude Bellingham Anfield (Organization) EPL FSG

The link between Kylian Mbappe and Liverpool is one that can trace its thread back to 2017.

French newspaper L'Equipe claimed at the time that Mbappe, then at AS Monaco, had even spent time on a private jet with Liverpool principal owner and Fenway Sports Group supremo John Henry where the potential for the Frenchman to join the Reds was allegedly discussed.

Nothing materialised and since then Mbappe has gone on to command his place atop of the global football list when it comes to his value and marketability. Alongside Neymar Jr and Lionel Messi, he forms one part of a potent Paris Saint-Germain attack which has been put together by the open wallet policy of owners Qatar Sports Investments.

There was a 'will he/won't he' situation last season when, as Mbappe's contract neared a 2022 summer expiry, his destination almost certainly seemed to be Real Madrid before he performed something of a U-turn and penned a new bumper deal with PSG. Liverpool, again, were mentioned in the conversation but it was never something that was rooted in reality, especially given the more conservative approach to cost management that is in place at Anfield under FSG.

But the revelations that, just months into his new deal at PSG, Mbappe was seeking an out after becoming disillusioned at the Parc des Princes got the transfer rumour mill going into overdrive, with Liverpool again linked.

In reality it is a deal that will always be too far of a stretch for Liverpool and FSG, and one that isn't rooted in any kind of financial sense. But Mbappe's situation, and a pressing matter on the horizon for PSG, means that it could pave the way for an Mbappe move elsewhere that could, in turn, aid Liverpool's run at their summer business.

According to French outlet Le Parisien, PSG are facing heavy financial losses when they publish their accounts later this year, with the report suggesting a figure of around €300m (£260m), potentially even higher.

PSG's spending under QSI has found them in the crosshairs of UEFA in recent times over potential Financial Fair Play breaches, and being on UEFA's watchlist on that front means that should such losses be heading down the tracks they would almost certainly need to take action to address the situation.

PSG have worked to make themselves a global brand, their Nike tie-in using the Air Jordan brand and the club having a retail presence across the world, including a flagship store on New York's famed Fifth Avenue. But their place in Europe's fifth biggest league, where media revenues are tiny compared to the Premier League, allied with a lack of success in the Champions League means that the revenues have not been able to keep pace with the spending. At some point something has to give.

It is almost certain that Mbappe won't be a Liverpool player anytime soon, with wages of £600,000 per week and a transfer fee of more than £250m it would be financial folly. But in agitating a move he will, despite Real Madrid's president Florentino Perez's claims to the contrary, give the Spanish giants a decision to make.

Perez, who claims he pays no attention to the Mbappe narrative despite having been willing to spend £200m on a player with six months left on his contract back at the start of 2022, has long led Real Madrid with the idea that they should be the destination to top all destinations for footballers. Mbappe is arguably the most marketable footballer in the world away from Cristiano Ronaldo, and having ridden the bumpy ride of the pandemic there is a desire to usher in a new era of the 'Galactico' once again.

PSG may find that Mbappe offers them their best chance of addressing some serious financial headaches moving forward, and the list of potential destinations will be a small one, with very few willing to part with such sums. Perez and Real Madrid would, but only if the situation looked like a win on their behalf, a move that proved a better deal than the one the Spanish giants offered up earlier in the year.

That could be good news for Liverpool. The Reds want, and need, to spend heavily next summer to address the issue of an ageing midfield that is in need of some rejuvenation. The name that has been constantly linked, Borussia Dortmund and England star Jude Bellingham, is one that has far stronger roots in reality than any Mbappe move.

The 19-year-old midfielder has been coveted by the Reds for some time, but he won't come cheap and there will be little change from £100m. But that is the way the market is heading, for premium players there is a premium price.

Liverpool, who will know that they will need to bag a top four spot this season to be serious contenders for his signature, will face competition for Bellingham. Of the potential competitors the one that offers the greatest threat is Real Madrid, who already beat the Reds to the punch with Aurelien Tchouameni during the summer.

But Real Madrid won't be able to make unlimited huge signings themselves, and for a club where optics are everything, a move for Mbappe would be one that stirred fans more than for Bellingham. That means that Liverpool's path could be clearer, especially if PSG are backed into a corner by their need to address heavy losses in time for the following year's balance sheet.

With Barcelona still having to take great care where to tread with their financial situation, especially as they sit on the brink of an early exit from this year's Champions League group stage, and other major rivals having already shelled out major sums in the recent window that leaves them with little flexibility when it comes to FFP, removing Real Madrid from the conversation would be a boon for a Reds recruitment team that know the pressure is on in the next two windows.

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