Transfer Centre

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti brushes off renewed Kylian Mbappe speculation

By Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter | 13 September 2022

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti brushes off fresh speculation over a proposed move to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has brushed off fresh speculation over a proposed move to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.

The 23-year-old was on the cusp of becoming a free agent at the end of June when his contract at the Parc des Princes was due to expire.

Los Blancos have been heavily linked with a move to sign Mbappe over the last 12 months, but the forward decided to commit his future to PSG in May and signed a new three-year contract.

A recent report, however, claims that Mbappe's new contract only runs until 2024 and he has the option to extend his deal by a further year.

The France international will therefore enter the final year of his contract at the beginning of next season, and speculation over his long-term future in Paris has resurfaced.

Kylian Mbappe in action for Paris Saint-Germain on September 10, 2022 © Reuters

Mbappe has excelled for PSG since joining the club in 2017, recording 180 goals and 88 assists in 224 appearances across all competitions, and he has already netted nine times in just seven games so far this season.

Real Madrid are thought to still hold an interest in signing Mbappe in the future, but Ancelotti distanced himself and the club from the speculation when questioned by reporters, via Marca, on Tuesday.

"I give up with this question, I really mean it," joked Ancelotti. "We're excited about our forward line, our young players."

The 63-year-old insists that the Spanish giants already possess three talented forwards in Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, who were all important players in helping the club win their 14th Champions League trophy last season.

"It's true that Karim excites us a lot and that when a young player comes in, he excites us much more than the other player you usually talk about," Ancelotti added.

"We are very excited about what Vinicius and Rodrygo are doing. We are not thinking about other players."

Karim Benzema celebrates scoring for Real Madrid on August 28, 2022 © Reuters

Real Madrid will have to cope without Benzema for Wednesday's Champions League contest at home to RB Leipzig as Ancelotti has confirmed that the striker is ruled out with a thigh injury.

However, the Italian has admitted that Benzema could be available for Saturday's El Clasico away against city rivals Atletico Madrid.

Speaking to the press ahead of their Group F encounter, Ancelotti said: "There's a chance (Benzema could face Atletico), as he is evolving well. But he'll only play if there are no concerns at all."

Eden Hazard, who started down the middle in the 4-1 La Liga win over Mallorca last weekend, is set to retain his place in the starting lineup against Leipzig, joining Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo in the front three.

Like Benzema, Lucas Vazquez and Eder Militao are also ruled out of Wednesday's fixture due to respective thigh and hamstring problems, but right-back Alvaro Odriozola is available to return to the matchday squad.