Real Madrid are reportedly planning to make one final offer for Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe at the beginning of 2024.
The Frenchman, widely regarded as one of the best players in world football, has been strongly linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu over the past few years, but a transfer has ultimately failed to bare fruit for various reasons.
PSG refused to part ways with Mbappe in the summer of 2021 despite allegedly receiving two nine-figure offers from Real Madrid, including a €200m (£171.2m) bid on the final day of the transfer window.
Los Blancos renewed their interest in Mbappe the following year and the 24-year-old was seemingly set to join the Spanish giants on a free transfer upon the expiration of his PSG contract, only to then perform a major U-turn and sign a new deal with the Ligue 1 champions until June 2024.
Mbappe, whose renewed contract will expire at the end of the current season, informed PSG earlier this year that he has no intention of triggering a one-year extension, leaving the Parisiens at risk of losing their star striker for free next summer.
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The 2018 World Cup winner was subsequently banished from first-team training and left out of their pre-season tour squad, while a world-record €300m (£256.8m) bid from Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal was allegedly accepted by PSG, but Mbappe turned down the move to the Middle East.
Mbappe was eventually reintegrated into the PSG squad following several rounds of talks, and he has since scored 17 goals in as many games across all competitions this season, but uncertainty over his long-term future at the Parc des Princes remains heading into 2024.
PSG's No.7 is able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs from January onwards, and according to Relevo, Real Madrid are preparing to present their final offer to the striker in the "first part of 2024" in an attempt to lure him to the Spanish capital on a free transfer next summer.
The report adds that Real Madrid have "learned their lesson" from their previous negotiations with Mbappe and PSG, and they will not entertain another drawn-out transfer saga between January and July of next year.
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Los Blancos intend to table a proposal that they believe will be too good for Mbappe to turn down, but they will not spend over the odds to lure him or any other player to the Bernabeu considering the emergence of rising stars such as Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham and Endrick, who will join the club from Palmeiras next summer.
Real Madrid allegedly have ambitions of recruiting both Mbappe and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland in 2024, but it remains to be seen whether they will have the finances to pull off the two big-money transfers in the same transfer window.
Mbappe, who is supposedly demanding enormous wages of €35m (£30.6m) a year with any potential new club, has also attracted interest from Premier League quintet Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City and Manchester United as well as Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
However, it is thought that Real Madrid remain at the front of the queue for Mbappe's signature should he decide to part ways with PSG.
Mbappe has spent the last six-and-a-half years with PSG and in that time has become the club's all-time leading goalscorer, netting 229 times in 277 appearances while also winning 12 trophies including five Ligue 1 titles.
Oliver Thomas
