Barcelona president Joan Laporta has stated that he is not jealous of Kylian Mbappé’s potential move to Real Madrid, and that the France international’s arrival could “distort” the team’s dressing room.
Mbappé is expected to join Madrid when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires this summer, with ESPN reporting last month that the LaLiga giants are hoping to reach an agreement with the player soon.
Laporta expressed concern about the deal, citing Mbappé’s high salary and preference to play from the left, similar to Vinícius Júnior.
“No, not at all,” Laporta told Mundo Deportivo when asked if he envied Madrid’s pursuit of Mbappe.
“But I don’t know if they will sign him or not. Let’s see. [If they do] they will have a problem there. They will have to transfer a player, right? Because two players aren’t going to play in the same position…
“And speaking about the numbers involved [in the deal], it’s going to distort the dressing room for sure. It’s not a gift.”
Laporta’s comments come after Madrid defender Dani Carvajal insisted Mbappé’s potential arrival would not cause “jealousy” or other issues at the club.
Madrid’s forward line, consisting of Vinícius, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Brahim Díaz, and Joselu, has led the club to the top of LaLiga and the Champions League quarterfinals.
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While Mbappé would arrive as a free agent, he would still command a high salary and a significant signing-on fee, LaLiga president Javier Tebas stated.
The situation could not be more different at Barça, who remain in excess of their LaLiga-imposed annual spending limit, with Tebas repeatedly saying they will have to transfer players out before registering any new signings this summer.
Despite their economic problems, Laporta remains optimistic they can challenge for LaLiga, where they are second behind Madrid, and the Champions League, with a quarterfinal to come against Mbappé’s PSG.
“We have a chance in both competitions,” Laporta said. “We are dreaming of achieving something that right now is not a fantasy, it is a realistic possibility.
“We are in the last eight in Europe and have a tough tie against PSG, but we have the second leg at home, which is good for us. The team are super motivated.
“LaLiga is there, too. We are eight points back and Madrid aren’t slipping up, but we won’t throw in the towel.”
