The insane numbers behind Kylian Mbappe’s inevitable move to a Spanish giant have been revealed as Manchester United’s skipper is attracting interest from two massive clubs.
Meanwhile, Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou could raid one of his former clubs for a teenage star.
Catch up on the biggest transfer whispers doing the rounds in the latest edition of the Rumour Mill!
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Real Madrid find the breakthrough! | 00:47
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BONKERS NUMBERS BEHIND MBAPPE’S MADRID SWITCH
The worst-kept secret in football looks set to be confirmed in the coming days as Kylian Mbappe will make his move to Real Madrid official.
Mbappe elected to leave Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent and although the French superstar would have had his pick of the clubs, he’s had his heart set on Madrid for several years.
One glance at the dizzying figures involved in the deal provides further evidence as to why Mbappe never really considered any other clubs.
According to Sky Sports, Mbappe will pen a five-year contract with the Spanish giants, who recently claimed its 15th Champions League title after beating Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.
Mbappe’s contract will net the World Cup winner a cool $AUD24 million salary, a significant downgrade on his $122 million-a-year deal with PSG.
However, Mbappe will earn plenty via his staggering $163 million signing-on bonus with Madrid.
Mbappe leaves PSG with six Ligue 1 titles as well as 256 goals in 308 games across all competitions but failed to lead the team to a Champions League title.
UTD TALISMAN’S AGENT OPENS TALKS WITH RIVALS
The agent of Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has reportedly held talks with one of Europe’s biggest clubs amid building speculation he could leave Old Trafford.
According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo, Fernandes’ agent, Miguel Pinho, has opened dialogue with Bayern Munich over a stunning switch.
The report also mentions Barcelona are keeping a watchful eye on the situation, although they are yet to formalise any interest.
Fernandes, who has made 232 appearances for United since joining from Sporting, is under contract with the Red Devils until the end of the 2025/26 season.
The talismanic midfielder has gone on record stating he would like to remain at the club, but insisted he wouldn’t engage in any transfer talk until after Euro 2024.
The loss of Fernandes would put a serious dent in United boss Erik ten Hag’s plans to return the club to the bright lights of the Champions League after the club finished eighth in the Premier League.
However, a stunning FA Cup triumph over Manchester City secured a spot in the Europa League for Ten Hag’s troops.
ANGE SET TO RAID FORMER CLUB FOR TEENAGE PRODIGY
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou could raid one of his former clubs as a teenage star continues to attract interest from some of Europe’s biggest names.
The Daily Record claims Postecoglou’s Tottenham have entered the race for Celtic young gun Daniel Kelly, with Manchester United, Bayer Leverkusen, Bologna and newly-promoted Como all interested in securing the teen’s services.
Postecoglou worked with Kelly in his two years as Hoops boss, although the 18-year-old did not make a first team appearance in that stint.
However, Kelly has impressed in his six appearances for Celtic under Brendan Rodgers, even scoring in a 7-1 rout over Dundee in February.
The report claims only Leverkusen have a formal interest in Kelly, meaning Postecoglou may have to act fast if he does want to bring the teenager to north London.
ELSEWHERE AROUND THE GROUNDS …
Fulham have reportedly made a 23-year-old England international their main transfer priority this summer, but he will not come cheap.
According to The Telegraph, Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe is the name at the top of Fulham manager Marco Silva’s wishlist.
For the Gunners, a sale of the midfielder will represent pure profit in regards to the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), so they may be tempted to boost their own transfer kitty.
Although Smith Rowe has three England caps to his name, he struggled to break into Arsenal’s starting line-up and made just 13 league appearances in the 23/24 season.
Incoming Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is set to waste little time in being active in the transfer market as he plots a move for Manchester City young gun James McAtee.
The Sun claims Maresca was desperate to secure McAtee had he remained as Leicester City boss, but even with a significantly larger budget, the Italian is still keen on the 21-year-old.
McAtee endured a tough season with Sheffield United as the Blades finished last in the Premier League, but still showed enough glimpses of why he’s so highly rated by those at City.