SAUDI ARABIA is willing to spend more to sign Kylian Mbappe than it did to buy Newcastle United.
Mbappe is a sensational talent but, even in a sport that has seen transfer spending reach enormous levels, the numbers are extraordinary.
Al-Hilal have offered a world-record £ 259 million for the Paris Saint-Germain forward, who stands to earn a salary worth more than £600m.
Aware of his desire to join Real Madrid, Al-Hilal are supposedly even prepared to offer Mbappe a one-year deal before letting him move to Spain next summer.
That would mean almost £ 1 billion for a year's worth of football.
There remains uncertainty over whether Mbappe would be prepared to move to Saudi Arabia but the bid is set to kick-off a transfer frenzy that could include Premier League clubs.
Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham are said to be interested in the 24-year-old, though none would appear realistic destinations this summer.
This story is from the July 25, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
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This story is from the July 25, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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