Kylian Mbappe set to take legend’s shirt at Real Madrid and be forced to give up No7 jersey because of Vinicius Jr
KYLIAN MBAPPE will be handed Real Madrid’s legendary No10 jersey if he completes a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Mbappe, 25, has informed Paris Saint-Germain he won’t trigger an option to extend his contract by another year and will thus leave in June as a free agent.
Europe’s elite has taken notice with Premier League giants, such as Arsenal and Liverpool, monitoring the situation but the star striker is reportedly “leaning towards” Real.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Los Blancos are trying to sweeten the deal by offering him the same shirt number wore by past legends, such as Ferenc Puskas, Luis Figo and Clarence Seedorf.
That means the France international will have to give up his signature No7 shirt, which he currently wears at PSG.
That is because Vinicius Jr has proven he can wear it with the same class as legendary predecessors, like Raul, Emilio Butragueno and of course Cristiano Ronaldo.
Luka Modric currently occupies the No10 shirt but is expected to put an end to his glittering 12-year career in Madrid once his contract expires in the summer.
The same report claims Real are planning to officially announce Mbappe’s arrival before he links up with France for Euro 2024.
However, there are still several formalities that need to be ironed out before the ex-Monaco star puts pen to paper.
One major issue that stands in the way is the Frenchman’s staggering wages.
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However, reports suggest Mbappe is willing to accept a huge pay cut to finally move to Real.
The La Liga giants are hoping to pay the forward less than his £42.8million – around £827,000 a week – starting point.
However, he is still expected to become the club’s highest-paid player, surpassing England star Jude Bellingham by a significant margin.