Manchester United have accelerated their plans to replace Cristiano Ronaldo - with France superstar Kylian Mbappe having emerged as a shock target.
United will jettison Ronaldo following his bombshell interview in which he savaged the club, accusing them of betrayal and trying to force him out, as well as admitting he has no respect for boss Erik ten Hag.
Although United were already looking at strikers, their plan was to move for a new forward next summer, when Ronaldo’s contract is up and when it is more feasible to sign the targets they have identified.
But the 37-year-old’s explosive interview has ultimately brought a premature end to his second spell at Old Trafford, with United having decided to bring forward their plans to sign a new striker.
Paris St Germain striker and France World Cup winner Mbappe has emerged as a potential target to replace Ronaldo, with United possessing the financial might to pay the £150million-plus transfer fee to land him.
United are also one of the few clubs in Europe able to pay Mbappe £500,000-a-week, the same wages as Ronaldo, along with significant performance-related bonuses, to tempt the world’s most exciting young player to make the move to England as he plots the next big move of his career.
Napoli’s Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen is also on United’s radar and is a more attainable January target, with the Serie A club having braced themselves for a multitude of offers for their prolific £60m-rated forward when the window opens in six weeks. But Mbappe would be the dream signing for United, however difficult it might be to pull off such a huge transfer coup.
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Mbappe was set to join Real Madrid in 2021, but reneged on the proposed move, choosing instead to sign a lucrative contract extension with PSG last May until 2025.
Real President Florentino Perez was dismayed at Mbappe’s snub and the Spanish club’s interest in the 23-year-old has since cooled, opening the door for United to emerge as contenders for his signature.
United know Europe’s top club’s will be in the market for a striker next summer, and are therefore primed to steal a march on their rivals by moving for their target in January, when the transfer window reopens.
Manchester City and Liverpool will not be in the market for a striker next summer, given they already bought big last summer, with Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunes respectively, leaving United as realistic contenders.
Although it would be hard to prise Mbappe from PSG mid-season, with the French champions still involved in the Champions League, with a last 16 tie against Bayern Munich, United are set to explore the possibility, given there is no way back for Ronaldo.
With Anthony Martial injury-prone and unable to be relied upon fitness-wise, United need to strengthen with a proven goalscorer in January, if they are to maintain their push for a Champions League place and continue in the Europa League, where they face Barcelona in the next round.
