Update on Kylian Mbappe future suggests no club can afford PSG star

Liverpool and Real Madrid have once again been linked with summer moves for Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, though French media have expressed doubts that either club could afford his salary demands.

Mbappe has been winking at a potential exit for months now, and knows his contract situation - with just over a year left to run - puts him in a strong bargaining position with PSG.

That has led to speculation that another of Europe's top clubs could pounce to bring him in for a fee far beneath his value. In an ideal world, both Liverpool and Real would love to sign him, given his burgeoning reputation as one of the best strikers on the planet.

But L'Equipe say, unsurprisingly, that the finances involved are proving too steep for either club. A report on Friday, as broken down by Sport Witness, notes that neither are in a position to match his current PSG deal, which sees him take home €25m (£21m) per year.

As things stand, no Liverpool player earns anything close to that. According to Spotrac, Mohamed Salah and Thiago Alcantara are Jurgen Klopp's joint-top earners, and each take in a shade over £10m per year.

Mbappe is not believed to be entirely motivated by money - according to L'Equipe, he's even told PSG that finances won't dictate his decision this summer - but it still seems unlikely he would half his current salary to land at Anfield, especially when PSG are prepared to up him to €30m (£26m) per annum if he stays.

A deal may look more viable for Real, but in the Covid-afflicted financial climate, they would have to cut their cloth first. At present, they aren't thought to be confident of coming up with an acceptable offer, particularly as PSG would still command a fee well north of £100m for his services.

All of this bodes well for PSG and it's understood Mauricio Pochettino is growing more and more hopeful of convincing him to extend his contract beyond 2022. He has rejected three proposals in the recent past, according to Cadena SER, but is still considering his options - and there is a growing optimism in Paris that he will eventually decide to stay put for the time being.

Mbappe has scored 28 goals and 35 appearances this season, and his final decision may be impacted on how PSG fare in Ligue 1 and in Europe this term.

They sit second to high-flying Lille domestically, and Friday's Champions League draw pitted them up against Bayern Munich in a repeat of last year's final.