It looks increasingly doubtful that Kylian Mbappe will be playing in Ligue 1 next season; though after last year’s U-Turn we can never say ‘never’.
But why would Paris Saint-Germain let such a valuable asset play out his contract? Mbappe himself said he wouldn’t extend his stay at the Parc des Princes beyond 2024 and that seems to have forced the club’s hand. The betting markets believe the France star will be a Real Madrid player by August so maybe it’s time for Paris to prepare for life after Mbappe.
The Ligue 1 2023 betting odds will back PSG to win the title again next year, but if they get this situation wrong then they could open the door to the likes of Lens, Marseille and Monaco.
There are plenty of players the Parisiens would like to replace their star striker, should he go, but some are off limits. With a treble in the bag and a mission to dominate Europe I really can’t see Manchester City parting company with Erling Braut-Haaland. And Harry Kane looks destined to go to FC Bayern if he leaves Tottenham.
Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez is a brilliant forward, but I Nerazzurri will want to build on their Champions League final place and the Argentine is a big part of their plans. If he goes anywhere, he seems more likely to join his countryman Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs if Kane makes his move.
Let’s take a look at SBOTOP’s picks for the three most likely forwards to make a move to the French capital.
Victor Osimhen
Napoli won the 2023 Scudetto in some style and it was a goal from Capocannoniere winner Victor Osimhen which got them over the line in a 1-1 draw with Udinese. And ever since that moment some of the biggest clubs on Europe have been pondering a move for the brilliant Nigerian. He’ll always be a Naples legend since he fired the Parteponei to a first Scudetto since the days of the great Diego Maradona, but the Serie A champions have a nervous few weeks ahead.
He scored 31 goals and made five assists in 39 appearances last season and, at 24 years of age Osimhen is only going to get better. He’s already one of the best strikers in the world and his blistering pace, strength on the ball and in the air, and lethal finishing put him alongside the likes of Mbappe and Haaland as a priceless commodity.
It would make huge Ligue 1 2023 news if Napoli’s star man were to move to PSG while sending a shock wave through Italy too.
Joao Felix
His transfer from Benfica to Atletico Madrid for a record 126M Euros made him the fourth most expensive player in world football and for a teenager that was one heck of a burden to shoulder and, while he has shown plenty of promise with Los Rojiblancos, Felix is not yet the finished article. He has spent the last six months on loan at Chelsea as the Blues finished in the bottom half of the Premier League and that can’t have helped his confidence much at all.
But there is definitely a world class player in there. At the age of 23 he already has 31 caps for a highly talented Portuguese side and he has all the attributes of a top, top striker. His versatility is a real asset to any coach and his speed, quick feet and ingenuity make him an exciting prospect. The return to Atletico Madrid of Antoine Griezmann has squeezed Felix out at a developmental time of his career; he just needs the right club to push him on and PSG might just be it.
Richarlison
For an outside bet to replace Mbappe, Spurs’ 26 year old striker Richarlison is worth a closer look. The Brazil striker came to prominence as Watford’s best player in their 2017/2018 Premier League campaign and that earned him a move to Everton where he scored 43 goals in 135 appearances, playing a huge role in keeping the Toffees in the English top flight in 2022. He has scored 20 goals in 44 appearances for Brazil and Richarlison is clearly a player who should be in the Champions League. But his £50m move to Tottenham last summer has turned out to be a flop as he scored just once in 27 appearances. Richarlison is clearly a wildly gifted player with glittering skills and a hard edge, which PSG will need if they are to challenge in Europe. He signed a five year deal with Spurs but, if the right offer comes in then Richarlison might be ready to take a new direction.
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