Opinion: Liverpool target makes transfer request - his club is already spending his expected transfer fee

Kylian Mbappe has asked to leave PSG and with the Ligue 1 side splashing the cash this summer, could they be pre-emptively spending the money they might generate from his exit?

As ever, the transfer market is a game of chess and clubs are very careful with the moves they make to ensure they aren't left exposed.

Similarly, they also make certain moves based on what they think will happen next and PSG's plans could indicate an exit for Kylian Mbappe.

Mbappe makes transfer request

French journalist Daniel Riolo, who works for RMC Sport, claims that the forward has asked to leave Parc des Princes.

According to AS, Riolo said: “I know that Mbappe asked to leave, but it is complicated because first you have to find a club that has the money to pay him, but the news is that he really does not want to stay.

“The player does not believe in Leonardo’s project. If he does not leave this summer, it will be for free next season. And in Doha [PSG’s owners] they do not want to hear about it.

“If Mbappe expresses this desire to leave, it means that he will have to find a club and that PSG will need to look for a replacement. But yes, the news is that Mbappe does not want to stay at PSG.”

PSG making big-money moves

It's important to note that PSG are not at all like Liverpool and their attempts to sign players are not swayed by their ability to generate funds from sales.

The Athletic's James Pearce reiterated that Liverpool will need to offload players in order to make new additions to the squad.

PSG, however, are not in the same boat with president Nasser Al Khelaifi giving Mauricio Pochettino the freedom to make big-money moves this summer.

The Argentine manager has already sealed a clever free agent move to sign Georginio Wijnaldum, attracting him to the Parc des Princes over Camp Nou with wages worth £160,000/week after tax, according to De Telegraaf.

Another Bosman deal doesn't necessarily suggest they will sell Mbappe but by drying up their cash flow to pay the Spaniard what will surely be massive wages, they could be tempted into selling the 22-year-old forward with the prospect of losing him for free looming large.

As per Corriere dello Sport, via Marca, Cristiano Ronaldo could move to PSG with his agent, Jorge Mendes, set to fly to Milan in the next few days to discuss his client's future.

Signing Ronaldo would put a significant drain on PSG's finances not just in terms of his transfer fee but also in terms of the weekly wage he would command.

He's only got one year left on his contract so he won't cost as much as he did when Juventus signed him for £99.2m but the Portugal icon earns €576,923 per week, Goal claims, which equates to €30m per year.

Liverpool signing Kylian Mbappe this summer is inconceivable unless FSG decides to break away from their transfer model which has been in place since they bought the club.

A deal to sign Mbappe would cost around £144m before wages and a signing on bonus are calculated but it does seem as if PSG are shaping up to blow Europe out of the water in the transfer market this summer.