Barcelona have reportedly made contact with Paris Saint-Germain over the shock signing of France superstar Kylian Mbappe, journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed.
Mbappe is embroiled in a battle with PSG over his future, and a number of clubs from the Premier League and Serie A, as well as Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, have made enquiries over the forward.
Al-Hilal have even made a record-breaking bid, which could still see Mbappe join La Liga rivals Real Madrid next year, but Barcelona have seemingly put their hat in the ring as a possible alternate destination for the World Cup winner.
Barcelona could even offer a player in exchange as part of the deal, with the length and finances of any transfer currently unclear, given that PSG believe Mbappe has already agreed to join Real Madrid.
Could Barcelona sign Mbappe?
Given the difficult financial situation Barcelona find themselves in, it seems highly unlikely that they would be able to fund a big-money move for Mbappe now, particularly with PSG eager to sell rather than loan him out.
The idea of a player swap may be the only way they could strike a deal for the 24-year-old, and given that they will need to convince both PSG and the player to join, they may have to offer some top-quality players.
Whilst young stars such as Pedri and Gavi may be completely out of the question for a swap, the likes of Raphinha, Ousmane Dembele or even Robert Lewandowski could be appealing to PSG, but even if they can agree a fee and a swap, Mbappe’s wages may prove an obstacle.
It therefore seems surprising that Barcelona have made contact over Mbappe, and perhaps the length of their talks was merely a preliminary enquiry rather than a serious proposal at this stage. Although he has been described as “world-class,” and is already one of the best players in the world, Barcelona do not seem best positioned for a deal compared to the other interested parties.