Man City lodge interest in Kylian Mbappe but expect to lose out to Real Madrid if he leaves Monaco this summer
Real Madrid believe they are in pole position to sign Kylian Mbappe in a world-record £161 million deal from Monaco.
Manchester City have also lodged their interest in Mbappe but expect the striker to move to Real if he does leave the French champions this summer.
City first enquired about Mbappe in April but balked at Monaco's then £130 million asking price and club sources insisted on Tuesday night that they had neither bid nor entered formal negotiations for the teenage sensation.
Alexis Sanchez has been Pep Guardiola's long-standing strike target and City remain likely to test Arsenal's resolve over the £50 million-rated Chile forward.
Premier League done deals: each club's confirmed summer transfers
Marca, the Madrid-based sports newspaper, has claimed Real have reached an agreement in principle for Mbappe worth €180 million (£161 million), which includes €20 million in add-ons. Those claims were denied by Monaco to French newspaper Nice-Matin, although sources close to Real are understood to be optimistic a deal will be struck.
Real have raised more than £90 million through sales this summer, £58 million of which was accounted for by striker Alvaro Morata's move to Chelsea, and those proceeds will go to funding the Mbappe deal, despite suggestions they need to raise more cash to finance the transfer.
Real's focus on Mbappe is why the European champions' pulled the plug on a deal for Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea.
Monaco have already sold Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy to City for a combined £96 million and Tiemoue Bakayoko to Chelsea for £39 million. The prospect of selling Mbappe for £161 million would mean they have raised almost £300 million in senior sales in one summer and that figure could swell again if Arsenal succeed in their efforts to sign Thomas Lemar, for whom the North London club intend to make an increased £45 million bid.
