PSG planning £250m spending spree to replace Kylian Mbappe, following shock announcement: report
PSG are set to lose Kylian Mbappe in the summer, but the French champions are already plotting their next moves
PSG are plotting some serious summer spending in the transfer market, after details were revealed about Kylian Mbappe leaving the club on a free.
News emerged on Thursday that Mbappe has decided to leave PSG at the end of the season, with club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi informed of the decision. While the Frenchman hasn't yet decided on which side he's joining, Real Madrid and Liverpool seem the most likely destinations.
With Mbappe leaving, PSG have now started work on replacing him in the squad. They've already identified two high-profile targets they want at the Parc des Princes, though only one of them is an attacker.
According to The Athletic, PSG are targeting both Victor Osimhen and Gavi in the summer. Both players will have just two years remaining on their respective Napoli and Barcelona contracts come June, though significant transfer fees will still be required.
The report suggests that Osimhen "features prominently" in PSG's plans for life after Mbappe, with the Nigerian striker one of the most-in-demand forwards in the world. His 26 goals in Serie A last season helped Napoli to their first Scudetto this Millennium, and has been the subject of much transfer speculation since last summer.
While many of Europe's top clubs covet the 25-year-old's signature, PSG could be the best-placed club to land him. Osimhen has experience of playing in Ligue 1 with Lille in the 2019/20 season, where he bagged 13 goals, while he'll undoubtedly become the main man in the French capital if he were to join.
Plus, PSG sporting director Luis Campos previously signed Osimhen for Lille. Reports suggest that Napoli would only consider offers of £130m, though, a hefty fee but one PSG could look to match once they lose Mbappe's extravagant wages.
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Gavi, meanwhile, has been a long-term target for the Ligue 1 champions, and Barcelona's current financial situation could force them into a sale. While they view the 19-year-old as indispensable, recouping significant value from a youth product could help the Blaugrana placate UEFA and La Liga in FFP regulations.
Luis Enrique has previously worked with the midfielder, too, handing him his senior Spain debut while still only 17. Gavi's current contract does have a release clause of £1bn, but an offer over £100m would likely tempt Barcelona into a sale.
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Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.