Kylian Mbappe has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, but they have reportedly ended their pursuit of the forward due to the money it would take to sign him.

Kylian Mbappe’s current contract with Paris Saint-Germain is due to expire next summer, meaning the forward will be available on a free transfer.

However, any attempt to sign the Frenchman will not be cheap, with Mbappe commanding a bumper weekly wage and a huge signing fee.

Real Madrid have been heavily linked with the 24-year-old and he was expected to end up at the Bernabeu next season.

However, the La Liga giants have reportedly ended their pursuit of the forward as his wage demands are simply too high.

French outlet L’Equipe reported earlier this month that Liverpool are in the running to sign Mbappe, having held a longstanding interest in the forward dating back to 2017.

And reports from Spain claim that the Reds are now ‘best positioned’ to complete a deal for him.

According to AS, as per Sport Witness, Mbappe is after a yearly wage of €35million (£30.5m) after tax and a signing bonus of around €100m (£87m).

Mbappe’s mother Fayza Lamari, who also acts as his agent, is a Liverpool fan and the player has previously revealed he held talks about moving to Anfield before he joined PSG.

“We talked a little bit, but not too much,” he told the Telegraph last year.

“We talked a little bit. I talked to Liverpool because it’s the favourite club of my mum, my mum loves Liverpool.

I don’t know why, you will have to ask her! It’s a good club and we met them five years ago. When I was in Monaco I met them. It’s a big club.”

And Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is also a huge fan of Mbappe, telling RMC Sport ahead of a Champions League clash with PSG back in 2018:

“I love him, to be honest. What a player he is and a nice lad as well, so he’s a really good kid.

“What a player, what a player. Everyone knows him since he was 16, 17 when he impressed in Monaco’s youth teams, and I saw videos of him when he was 17 and he destroyed defensive lines as he is doing now.

“He’s at an unbelievable level of consistency at that age.

He’s an outstanding player, that’s clear, but he can deliver, deliver and deliver, which shows he’s really good educated boy and he knows what he is doing.”

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ARSENAL JOIN LIVERPOOL IN RACE TO SIGN ‘EXTRAORDINARY’ £55M MIDFIELDER

Arsenal have shown an interest in Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners having scouted the Atalanta ace in action.

Atalanta star Teun Koopmeiners is now on the radar at Arsenal following scouting trips to Italy.

This is in line with a TEAMtalk report that states Arsenal has reportedly been considering Koopmeiners.

Arsenal seems to be looking for a new midfield player as the January transfer window draws near.

Due to Thomas Partey’s ongoing injuries, Douglas Luiz, an Aston Villa player, has been linked to the player.

Who is Arsenal target Koopmeiners?

Koopmeiners came up in the AZ Alkmaar ranks and emerged as a first-team star in 2017 after shining for the Jong AZ side.

43 goals in 154 games for AZ showed off Koopmeiners’ goalscoring abilities, boasting a particularly strong record from the penalty spot.

Koopmeiners also captained the AZ side at a very young age, showing off his leadership abilities before heading to Atalanta in 2021.

Now with nearly 100 appearances for Atalanta to his name, the 25-year-old continues to impress having hit 10 goals last season.

Hailed as ‘extraordinary’ by Atalanta hero Domenico Progna, Koopmeiners seems ready for a big move in 2024 – and Arsenal may well feel that his leadership, passing range and goal threat can make him an ideal addition for Mikel Arteta.