Real Madrid would reportedly struggle to stump up the cash to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.
The 22-year-old's existing deal with the French champions expires in 2022, and his future is shrouded in uncertainty amid reported interest from several European heavyweights.
A recent report claimed that a fee of £174m could tempt PSG into selling Mbappe if he does not commit his future to the capital club, but with top teams across the globe in perilous financial positions amid the coronavirus pandemic, garnering such an extortionate amount of money this summer would be extremely unlikely.
As a result, the Daily Mail claims that while Real Madrid have taken a serious liking to Mbappe, they simply could not afford to cough up £174m for a transfer fee and shell out £26m a year on wages.
The report adds that Real Madrid could instead hope to convince Mbappe to sign for the club given his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo, with the promise of filling the 36-year-old's boots possibly too good for the PSG man to refuse.
Liverpool continue to be credited with an interest in Mbappe, who has found the back of the net 21 times in all competitions this term.
Ben Knapton
