Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said he is not jealous of Kylian Mbappé‘s potential move to Real Madrid and suggested the France international’s arrival could “distort” the team’s dressing room.
Mbappé is expected to join Madrid when his contract at Paris Saint-Germain expires this summer, with ESPN reporting last month the LaLiga giants are hopeful of finalising an agreement with the player soon.
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However, Laporta claimed there is scope for the deal to go wrong, highlighting the salary Mbappé will command and the fact he prefers to play from the left, like Vinícius Júnior.
“No, not at all,” Laporta told Mundo Deportivo when asked if he was envious of Madrid’s Mbappé pursuit.
“But I don’t know if they will sign him or not. Let’s see. [If they do] they will have a problem there. They will have to transfer a player, right? Because two players aren’t going to play in the same position…
“And speaking about the numbers involved [in the deal], it’s going to distort the dressing room for sure. It’s not a gift.”
Laporta’s comments come after Madrid defender Dani Carvajal insisted Mbappé’s potential arrival will not lead to “jealousy” or other problems at the club.
The World Cup winner would join a forward line that already features Vinícius, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Brahim Díaz and Joselu, which has fired Madrid to the top of LaLiga and into the Champions League quarterfinals.
While Mbappé would arrive as a free agent, he would still command a sizeable wage and a substantial signing on fee, although LaLiga president Javier Tebas said Madrid have the funds to pull off the signing.
“Madrid have enough financial fair play room to sign Mbappé and other players,” Tebas said on Monday.
The situation could not be more different at Barça, who remain in excess of their LaLiga-imposed annual spending limit, with Tebas repeatedly saying they will have to transfer players out before registering any new signings this summer.
Despite their economic problems, Laporta remains optimistic they can challenge for LaLiga, where they are second behind Madrid, and the Champions League, with a quarterfinal to come against Mbappé’s PSG.
“We have a chance in both competitions,” Laporta said. “We are dreaming of achieving something that right now is not a fantasy, it is a realistic possibility.
“We are in the last eight in Europe and have a tough tie against PSG, but we have the second leg at home, which is good for us. The team are super motivated.
“LaLiga is there, too. We are eight points back and Madrid aren’t slipping up, but we won’t throw in the towel.”