Transfer Centre

Barcelona "not envious" of Real Madrid signing Kylian Mbappe

By Carter White | 21 March 2024

Barcelona president Joan Laporta claims that the Catalan club are "not envious" of Real Madrid potentially signing Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe in the summer.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has stated that his side are "not envious" of Kylian Mbappe's potential transfer to rivals Real Madrid in the summer.

With the 25-year-old's contract at Paris Saint-Germain expiring at the conclusion of the season, there have been plenty of rumours surrounding the future of the player.

Despite intense speculation, Mbappe has continued to do the business on the pitch during the 2023-24 season, as he looks to guide his side to new heights.

Having netted 24 goals and provided five assists in just 24 Ligue 1 matches, the attacker has helped PSG earn a 12-point lead over second-placed Brest in the top-flight standings.

On top of this, Mbappe has also scored six goals in eight Champions League appearances this term, as Luis Enrique's troops look to become the champions of Europe for the first time in the club's history.

Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their first goal on March 5, 2024 © Reuters

Naturally, Real Madrid's rivals Barcelona have an interest in a potential move to the Bernabeu for the Frenchman, however club president Laporta has claimed that the arrival of the attacker may have its downsides for Los Blancos.

"Not at all, not at all [are Barcelona envious of Mbappe going to Madrid]. Also, I do not know if they will or will not. We will see," said Laporta when quizzed by Mundo Deportivo on Mbappe's potential switch to Madrid in the summer.

"No, I have intuition. They have a problem there. You have to sell a player [if Mbappe arrives], right? Because they are not both going to play in the same place and they are also very marked players.

"I read about the figures there will be, this disrupts the dressing room for sure. That is not a gift."

As alluded to, Carlo Ancelotti already has a number of high-profile attacking options at his disposal, including Brazilian duo Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo.

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior celebrates scoring their third goal and completes his hat-trick on January 14, 2024 © Reuters

Club president Laporta is not the only senior figure at Barca to have made a public statement about Mbappe's impending move to Los Blancos, with sporting director Deco also expressing his opinion on the situation recently.

"No discussion. He is a decisive player, who scores a lot of goals," Deco stated in an interview with Que T'hi Jugues.

"If he comes to Real Madrid, they will be stronger, but they will have to solve some tactical problems. But in football, balance is very important."

Even without Mbappe, Ancelotti's men are striding towards the La Liga crown this season, with Los Blancos currently eight points ahead of Xavi's Barca in second.