Real captain Ramos would welcome teen star Mbappe
MIAMI: Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos says French teen striker Kylian Mbappe will become a welcome addition for the reigning Champions League and La Liga champions should he decide to leave Monaco.
The 18 year-old forward is wanted by Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, with the Spanish giants poised to make him one of the most expensive players of all time in a move that could cost around $211 million (180 million euros).
Ramos was adamant Mbappe has the qualities to become of the best in the world.
“It’s not a decision for me but Mbappe is a great prospect. There are not young players around like him. We have an important year ahead of us and already have excellent players,” Ramos said ahead of Saturday’s meeting with arch-rivals Barcelona in Miami.
“But it’s money which moves football and people can pay what they want. If he wants to come to Real Madrid, the doors will be open.”
While Zidane smiled through his press conference here, Barcelona have been fighting to keep superstar Neymar from accepting Paris St Germain’s riches.
The French legend declined to twist the knife regarding Neymar.
“We will see what happens. He’s a good player. They are our most important rivals but we lost our last match against Manchester City and we want to put in a strong performance,” Zidane said. — AFP