Reports: Real Madrid identify the 'ultimate' replacement of Cristiano Ronaldo
What's the rumour?
Real Madrid have long been embroiled in the pursuit of a top-quality replacement for their former megastar Cristiano Ronaldo, but no deal has been clinched until now.
According to a report from TRANSFER market WEB, Los Blancos have made Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe their main transfer target for this summer and are hell-bent on landing the French sensation. If the aforementioned information is to be believed, the Spanish giants are also keeping tabs on Chelsea's Eden Hazard and Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski.
In case you didn't know...
The Parisian club is currently being investigated by UEFA over money paid into the club in the form of sponsorship. Les Parisiens' finances came under intense scrutiny in 2017 thanks to the world-record signing of Neymar from Barcelona, which was followed by a loan transfer of Kylian Mbappe, with an option to sign him in a deal valued at €180 million, which is yet to be paid.
As such, if the Ligue 1 champions are found guilty of breaching UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations, they could be coerced into offloading the 19-year-old, much to Real Madrid's delight.
The heart of the matter
By virtue of his sterling performances at Russia that inspired the French national team to World Cup glory, Kylian Mbappe has turned the heads of several European top dogs, who wish to coax him away from PSG.
Real Madrid are one of those clubs as they deem the former Monaco ace able enough to fit the bill for Cristiano Ronaldo's replacement, and are all set to make a move for him should PSG be handed a serious punishment for their illicit financial activities.
Rumour rating/probability: 3/10
With less than a week left in the transfer window, the possibility of pulling off such a marquee signing seems all but zilch.
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What's next?
UEFA's decisive ruling is expected to arrive on Monday, which could shape the fortunes of the ongoing transfer window.