?Monaco have increased their asking price for striking sensation Kylian Mbappe to £178m (€200m) in the expectation that Barcelona will join Real Madrid in the race for his signature when they sell Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain.
?The Daily Mail have reported that the Ligue 1 champions are in danger of pricing out Real Madrid, who made clear last week that they were willing to pay £160m.
But Monaco could bank on Barcelona’s interest following the seemingly imminent £196m (€222m) sale of Neymar to PSG.
Manchester City are also believed to still be interested in Mbappe, who is reportedly concerned that his development could be hindered at Real Madrid.
The Premier League club were said to be willing to launch a similar bid to that of Los Blancos, although neither club are prepared to stretch to Monaco’s new demands.
They are now likely to wait to see where Barcelona stand after the completion of the Neymar transfer saga.
Barcelona would have the financial power to comfortably complete the signing of Mbappe, but remain sceptical over spending their millions on a player with so little experience.
With the new Ligue 1 season just four days away, the 18-year-old’s next destination remains unclear, although he is almost certain to follow a number of last season’s title winning squad through the exit door.
Mbappe, who has just 50 top flight career appearances to his name, is reportedly determined to move to either La Liga or the Premier League before the close of the transfer window.
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