Real Madrid plan fire sale to raise funds for €250m Liverpool target

Real Madrid are looking to sell as many as six first-team stars in January in order to fund a move for PSG forward and reported Liverpool target Kylian Mbappe.

The 20-year-old has starred for PSG since arriving on loan in 2017, eventually joining for €180million, and is also a major target for LaLiga giants Real Madrid.

Reports have claimed Liverpool have the funds to sign the France international, but Jurgen Klopp, who met the player’s family members in an bid to convince him to sign for Liverpool two years ago, says they have “absolutely no chance” of signing the player.

“Buying this calibre of player is difficult,” said Klopp. “I don’t see any club at the moment who can buy Kylian Mbappe from PSG. I don’t see any club, that is how it is. And we are involved in the clubs that cannot do it. It is as easy as that.

“OK, from a sporting point of view, there are not a lot of reasons to not sign him. What a player he is. But it is about the money of course. No chance. Absolutely no chance. Sorry for killing that story.”

However, there is a growing feeling in France that Mbappe will soon outgrow the Ligue 1 giants and, amid heightening reports this could be his last season with PSG, Real Madrid have once again been linked with a move.

But in order to free up funds for Mbappe, it’s claimed Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is ready to show a number of squad members the door in a bid to clear both the club of their dead wood and generate the estimated €250m (£215m) needed to land Mbappe.

According to Don Balon, Perez will listen to offers for Luka Modric, Nacho, Alvaro Odriozola, Isco, Mariano Diaz and Lucas Vazquez when the January transfer window opens.

Of the sextuplet, it seems Vazquez, reportedly the subject of a failed approach from Man Utd in the summer, Modric again linked with a move to Italy, and Isco, said to be wanted by a number of Premier League sides, look most susceptible to a move.

There’s also been talk of departures for Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez in recent weeks and it does seem that a number of clubs could be made aware of Real’s wish to trim their squad ahead of a possible splurge – most likely in the summer – for Mbappe.