From Charlton with Chelsea to the Bernabeu with Real Madrid, the fairytale rise and rise of Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe is poised to become the most expensive player in the history of football Getty

Mbappe is just 18-years-old and was not a first-team regular at the beginning of the 2016/17 season. But now he is poised to become the most expensive footballer of all-time

27

SportFootballTransfers
From Charlton with Chelsea to the Bernabeu with Real Madrid, the fairytale rise and rise of Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe is just 18-years-old and was not a first-team regular at the beginning of the 2016/17 season. But now he is poised to become the most expensive footballer of all-time

Sports Staff an hour ago0 comments

27

Click to follow
The Independent Football
kylian-mbappe-monaco.jpg
Mbappe is poised to become the most expensive player in the history of football Getty
Kylian Mbappe is poised to become the most expensive footballer in the history of football, with Real Madrid reaching an “agreement in principle” with Monaco over a £161m transfer to the Spanish capital.

The deal – which could see Madrid pay a further £18m in performance-related bonuses – obliterates the current world record transfer fee of £89m, paid by Manchester United to Juventus for Paul Pogba last summer.

Madrid were not the only team interested in signing the French teenager this summer. PSG were also keen, as were several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.

In fact Chelsea took Mbappe on trial when he was just 11, and he even played in a junior game there against a Charlton Athletic side. He still proudly has the Chelsea shirt with ‘KYLIAN 10’ on from that day.

Arsenal tried to sign him last summer, with Arsene Wenger commenting recently that he saw something of a young Thierry Henry in the brilliant teenage forward.

“Mbappe has similarities to Thierry Henry,” Wenger said at a press conference earlier this season.

“He has a huge talent. He plays for Monaco and Thierry Henry played for Monaco. When I was in Monaco I could see with Thierry Henry similarities. But of course after that, what makes the career after is the mental aspect that Thierry had. This young boy has to show that he has similar qualities on the mental front that Thierry had.

"I think he’s an exceptional talent who promises to have a great future. Unfortunately today, all these young players are in full view from very, very early on and all the big clubs want them.

"I hope the fact that everybody is already talking of nobody but him isn’t going to have a negative impact on his future.”

Follow and upvote me @pufoyoung