Mbappé's Shocking Admission
Kylian Mbappé added fuel to the dumpster fire that is the final weeks of Real Madrid's season, sensationally claiming he is now "fourth-choice" striker at the club.
In a candid chat with reporters in the mixed zone following Madrid's 2–0 win over Real Oviedo on Thursday night, Mbappé—who started the match on the bench—claimed he was fully fit, but no longer at the top of Álvaro Arbeloa's pecking order.
He also appeared to fire shots at the manager by saying that the club had lost its playing style and structure in the second half of the season, while talking up his "great relationship" with Xabi Alonso.
The outburst is just the latest episode in the ongoing Mbappé saga at Real Madrid. In two seasons at the Bernabéu, the player so long coveted by Florentino Pérez has become a conundrum.
Mbappé and Madrid Fail to Click
While he is on for back-to-back Pichichi trophies as La Liga's top scorer, Mbappé is yet to win a major team honor for Madrid, and his goals have not been able to mask a lack of chemistry with the squad's other attacking stars.
His relationship with the club unraveled this month with the fallout from a controversial trip to Italy with his girlfriend Ester Expósito and reports of a training ground bust-up with a member of Arbeloa's coaching staff.
On Thursday night, he was subbed on in the second half to a chorus of boos and whistles, while the forward has riled the Madrid fanbase to the point where an online petition demanding his sale has attracted millions of signatures.
But could Real Madrid really be about to cut their losses on their highest-earning player? It seems unlikely. But if they did, where might he end up?
Six Clubs That Could (Maybe) Sign Kylian Mbappé
6. Paris Saint-Germain
Mbappé left PSG in 2024. PSG fought a long and ultimately losing battle to keep their star asset in the French capital amid Madrid's interest. After signing an enormous contract extension that made him the world's highest-paid player, Mbappé still ended up leaving PSG two years later in what became a bitter divorce.
However, PSG have only improved as a team since his exit, with back-to-back Champions League finals. While fans will always appreciate Mbappé's legacy in Paris, that chapter appears closed.
5. Manchester City
The state-funded Manchester City are one of few clubs who might not totally baulk at Mbappé's wages, though the club would need to smash their transfer record—currently around £100 million ($133 million) for Jack Grealish in 2021—to get close to the fee needed for Mbappé.
While the notion of an Mbappé-Erling Haaland frontline sounds like the stuff of dreams for fans and nightmares for defenders, City are more likely to prioritize spending big in midfield this summer, with Elliot Anderson and João Neves among the reported targets. A swap between Mbappé and Haaland may be the only way to make a deal work.
4. Chelsea
The option of Chelsea may become a lot more agreeable to Mbappé should they announce Xabi Alonso as their next manager. The two had a good relationship at the Bernabéu and Mbappé has remained 'Team Xabi' in the locker room split.
Chelsea's finances are reported to be precarious but co-owner Todd Boehly is nothing if not an opportunist. London life may appeal more to Mbappé than other Premier League destinations, though a lack of Champions League action would certainly not.
3. Arsenal
Arsenal are on the verge of greatness this season. A statement signing after securing the Premier League and Champions League titles? It's a sequence of events many Arsenal fans will be dreaming of.
For a player of Mbappé's stature, the opportunity to lead a club to glory rather than joining an already-established powerhouse could make Arsenal an attractive destination.