“Liverpool ‘will hold talks’ to sign Mbappé,” according to Le10Sport, was the most positive news for the club. That’s not all. The Times says he’s “unimpressed” by Real Madrid’s attempts to force the issue this month and wants to look at his options in the Premier League.

Even with all the back and forth and politics, there’s still a strong feeling that he ends up at Real Madrid. But there isn’t always agreement among the news sources that the offer from the Spanish city is as good as it was a few years ago. This could make room for other interested parties.

For sure, even if that turns out to be true, Liverpool wouldn’t be the first team on the scene. However, Real Madrid might not be able or ready to match PSG’s wages. The next team in line, Anfield, would likely have a lower maximum salary in mind.

From a money point of view, Manchester City should be interested if Mbappé wants to play in the Premier League. But it’s possible that Pep Guardiola wants Real Madrid to finish the deal more than anything else.

AS says that Real Madrid is ready to move on to Erling Haaland if it can’t get Mbappé for some reason. It says that the player would leave “tomorrow” because he is so eager to join.

Also, it’s easy to see how this kind of move works. Manchester City agreed to add a release clause to Haaland’s contract, which is unusual for most big English teams. The Spanish outlet has heard that the amount is “much closer” to $110m (£86m/€100m) than $220m (£172m/€200m).

The release clause is cut in half for teams from outside of Spain, which makes it easier for Real Madrid to make a move. This means that if Liverpool were to do the impossible and sign Mbappé, it would be two bad things for their rival in France.