Barcelona emerged as a surprise contender to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe on Thursday evening.
It was the French newspaper L’Equipe that reported the news, although Marca assert that Real Madrid, the favourite to sign Mbappe when his contract expires, aren’t worried at all.
Madrid view the rumour as a leak from PSG intended to destabilise Mbappe’s free transfer to the Santiago Bernabeu.
The rumour comes as a surprise as Barcelona and Madrid, bonded by their interest in creating a Super League, are currently enjoying a pact of non-aggression.
If Barcelona really were trying to steal a march on their great rivals by beating them to Mbappe’s signature, it could be considered a statement of war.
But Barcelona, led by president Joan Laporta and coach Xavi Hernandez, are beginning to become a threat for Los Blancos again after a couple of seasons of irrelevance.
The Blaugrana’s 4-0 evisceration of Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in last weekend’s El Clasico was a symbolic moment.
