Joan Laporta, the president of Barcelona, has openly criticized Real Madrid’s recent signing of Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.
The deal, which brings the French superstar and World Cup winner to Madrid, was sealed on Monday, with Mbappe agreeing to a five-year term with the champions of La Liga.
- Paul Merson predicts where Chelsea & Man Utd will finish next season
- Cristiano Ronaldo makes Man Utd transfer demand after breaking down in tears
- REVEALED: The shirt number Kylian Mbappe will wear at Real Madrid
After a six-year stint at PSG, the 25-year-old forward is set to receive a salary of nearly £13 million per season, along with a staggering £128 million sign-on bonus, to be paid out over the next five years.
For Real Madrid’s national and international competitors, this transfer comes as a blow, particularly following the team’s recent Champions League triumph. The addition of one of the world’s premier footballers only strengthens their formidable lineup.
While acknowledging that Mbappe’s transfer spells unwelcome news for the Barcelona faithful, Laporta has not shied away from criticizing Real Madrid’s approach to securing the Frenchman’s move to the Bernabeu.
‘As a Barcelona fan, it’s not good news to see Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid,’ Laporta told Mundo Deportivo.
‘But to be honest, I prefer our strategy to trust a project with players produced and made in La Masia. I respect our rivals but I keep our philosophy.’
Real Madrid finished ten points above Barcelona in La Liga last campaign before lifting a record-extending 15th Champions League.
Barca recently appointed former Bayern boss Hansi Flick as their new manager after sacking Xavi a month after saying he would stay.
Lifting the lid on Barcelona’s managerial U-turn, Laporta said: ‘Xavi told me that he trusted this team, but then some of his statements looked like he changed his speech.
‘It caused me to rethink… and I had the feeling that I had to do a change, also with the same feeling shared with the board.’
On the appointment of Flick, Laporta added: ‘I started thinking of Flick as a possible Barca manager since I re-joined the club.
‘He started studying the team right after Xavi’s announcement. All the reports we have on Flick were super positive. Deco and Bojan also had same feeling, Flick had to be our coach.’
Mbappe has expressed his elation over his transfer to Real Madrid, calling it the fulfillment of a lifelong aspiration.
The prolific French striker boasts an impressive record of 256 goals in 308 matches for PSG, contributing significantly to the team’s six Ligue 1 triumphs.
Despite his remarkable success, Mbappe fell short of securing the coveted European title, with PSG succumbing to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final of 2020.
‘Nobody can understand how excited I am right now,’ Mbappe posted on Instagram after his move was confirmed. ‘A dream come true. So happy and proud to join the club of my dreams.’
