A former favourite at Santiago Bernabeu would like to see a raid completed on Paris Saint-Germain, but admits a deal will be difficult
Luis Figo would love to see “one of the best in the world” Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid, but admits landing the Paris Saint-Germain striker will prove difficult for a team that has already “found ways” to win without Cristiano Ronaldo.
A raid on Parc des Princes by the Blancos has been mooted for some time, with an exciting talent having registered on the recruitment radar at Santiago Bernabeu for several years.
Real attempted to put a deal in place when Mbappe was on the books at Monaco, but saw him remain in his homeland when joining Neymar and Co at PSG.
Interest has been retained since then, with the newly-crowned La Liga champions forever in the market for additions that fit their ‘Galacticos’ mould.
Mbappe would tick that box, but Figo believes prising the 21-year-old away from a wealthy French outfit will be tricky.
The Blancos legend told AS: “He is one of the best in the world, he has a lot of talent and a lot of room for improvement, but of course, he is currently in a very strong financial team. I don’t know if it will be possible to see him wear the white shirt.”
Real have had no need for Mbappe in 2019-20, with Karim Benzema leading their line with distinction while recording 26 goals across all competitions.
Figo said of the French frontman, who can be underappreciated at times: “He is a great player and he has shown it this year. He has taken an important step since Cristiano left, because he has felt more important. He’s a mix of nine and ten.”
Real did initially struggle to counter the loss of Ronaldo to Juventus in 2018, but Zinedine Zidane has turned the tide to get them back to winning ways.
“Cristiano has been very important for Madrid, and Madrid for Cristiano,” said Figo.
“He is irreplaceable… but Madrid have found ways to win without him.”
Gareth Bale was supposed to help fill that void, but the Wales international has endured struggles for form and fitness as he continues to tumble down the pecking order in the Spanish capital.
Figo said of a four-time Champions League winner who appears destined to move on in the near future: “I still think that he has a lot of quality despite the difficult times he has had with the fans. I like him a lot.”
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