City facing FIFA probe over Mbappe
MANCHESTER CITY face a potential FIFA investigation after being accused of tapping up Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe.
The French champions yesterday alleged that ‘important clubs’ — understood to include City, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain — made contact with Mbappe without consent.
In a strongly-worded statement, Monaco threatened to report clubs to FIFA for illegally approaching the 18-year-old, who is regarded as the hottest property in world football.
PSG did make an official bid for the striker, but City are understood not to have done so.
FIFA are yet to receive a formal complaint, which would centre on four clubs, and City are confident they have not broken any rules. Mbappe could command a world record fee when he does leave Monaco.
Arsenal are also keen and Arsene Wenger recently revealed he had visited the France international’s home in a bid to persuade him that the Gunners are a perfect fit.
City are already waiting to discover the outcome of a Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing regarding the capture of teenager Benjamin Garre from Velez Sarsfield, who were furious after claiming City officials had approached Garre before he reached the age of 16. That case was heard earlier this month after FIFA threw out an initial complaint and it could have serious implications on City’s transfer business going forward.
The Premier League also imposed a twoyear ban, with one year suspended, on City signing academy players in May after the tapping-up of two schoolboys from Stoke and Everton.
Yesterday’s statement by Monaco shines another light on City’s activity in the transfer market, although the club do not believe it would have any effect on a deal to land left back Benjamin Mendy.
Mendy, valued by Monaco at more than £ 50million, is Pep Guardiola’s top target but talks between the clubs have not progressed as quickly as was hoped. Mendy had been pencilled in for a medical earlier this week but an impasse over money could not be broken. Monaco are willing to sell the 23-year-old at the right price but are holding out a fee similar to the £54m City paid Tottenham for Kyle Walker last week — and are now angered by City’s pursuit of Mbappe (left). ‘AS Monaco state with regret that “important” European football clubs have made contact with Kylian Mbappe (and his entourage) without authorisation from the club,’ the statement read. ‘AS Monaco want to remind these clubs that such actions are contrary to article 211 of the French Football League and to article 18.3 of FIFA’s regulation of the transfer of players. To put an end to this unacceptable situation, AS Monaco are planning on asking the French Football League and FIFA to start disciplinary procedures against the offending clubs.’