As a Real Madrid move may help top target pursuit, there is a claim that Kylian Mbappé will transfer to Liverpool.

Kylian Mbappé’s request to transfer to Liverpool has been raised as the transfer to Real Madrid could help pursue the main objective

Media Digest: A surprising claim has been made about Liverpool and Kylian Mbappé, while a move to Real Madrid could indirectly help transfer plans at Anfield.

Mbappé transfer request

Liverpool have been sporadically linked with Kylian Mbappé for years. But since joining PSG from Monaco, a move seemed completely out of reach.

There is no shortage of transfer legends, Mbappé constantly seems on the verge of a move to PSG. But even if he were to leave without collecting a transfer fee, the very amount of his current salary would apparently prevent a deal with Liverpool. However, it seems Liverpool have never quite given up on their bold transfer dream. According to L’Équipe, the club was contacted last summer to launch an investigation amidst the latest rumors about the player’s future.

The result of the standoff between PSG and Mbappé was ultimately a short-term contract extension, one that will apparently see the 24-year-old earn as much as five times what Anfield’s top earner Mohamed Salah. That seems to completely rule out a future deal, although the nagging question arises as to why Liverpool keep supposedly returning to the table.

The French outlet reports that Mbappé does not intend to activate the option of an additional year in his PSG contract, meaning he will become a free agent in the summer of 2024. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Liverpool are mentioned again, even if this transfer continues to seem utterly implausible.

If and when Mbappé does leave, Real Madrid will certainly be among those credited with a major interest. The biggest question mark there is whether the Frenchman has spurned Los Blancos one too many times.

It would certainly not be the first high profile free transfer Real Madrid has made. Last summer, it picked up Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger for nothing, with the German not having been able to agree fresh terms at Stamford Bridge.

That, along with the departure of Andreas Christensen to Barcelona, could inadvertently give Liverpool a transfer boost this summer. Mason Mount is credited as being a priority target for Jürgen Klopp, and Football.london reporter Bobby Vincent has claimed Chelsea is very wary of a repeat situation.

Speaking to This is Anfield, Vincent claimed Chelsea could be ‘forced to sell’ for below its $87m (£70m/€80m) valuation of the player:

“He has just a year left on his contract, and if he starts to push for a move then Chelsea would be ridiculous not to sell for less.

“The club’s owners are keen to avoid past mistakes with players like Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, who both moved to Spain on free transfers less than 12 months ago.”

Chelsea’s valuation of Mount seems far too high, given the contract situation. Even with plenty of suitors, it seems certain that will come down before the end of the transfer window, especially as Todd Boehly seems determined not to sanction an end-of-contract move.