France legend believes Liverpool 'target' Kylian Mbappe should 'sidestep' Real Madrid this summer

French legend Marcel Desailly has made a big claim on the future of Kylian Mbappe amid transfer reports about his future.

Mbappe suffered another Champions League heartache in the semi-finals as Borussia Dortmund scored a 2-0 aggregate tie victory. That means Paris Saint-Germain have failed to win the famed European Cup across seven years with the attacker at the club. There will be no perfect send-off for the attacker and now the attention turns to where he will play his football next season.

For years Real Madrid have courted the 25-year-old and nearly signed him on two occasions (2017 and 2022) but with Mbappe’s patience and frustrations of not being more successful at club level finally taking it’s toll, he looks set to leave this summer at the end of his current deal. Liverpool have also been admirers from far and have had little encouragement over the years with members of his family speaking out positively on such links, as well as Mbappe revealing he enjoyed watching Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The money side of any potential deal seems impossible for the Reds. However, Desailly, who had backed Mbappe to succeed at Liverpool last summer, believes he should side-step Madrid for a different destination. "I'm not sure Madrid is the right place for him. He should consider going to Saudi Arabia for one season, earning €350 million, and then return the following season, which is the World Cup year." He told beIN sports.

In what is certainly another option, Mbappe turned down huge advances last summer from Saudi Arabia. Speaking last year, he claimed the World Cup winner could replace Sadio Mane. "But Liverpool have not sold most of their players, they have managed to keep a foundation at Anfield. They had a drop after many years of doing well, which was linked to selling Sadio Mane.

"They did not replace Mane with someone who was going to be as good, someone who had his philosophy and impact. I do believe Liverpool could suit Mbappe to fill that hole." Mbappe has 43 goals and 10 assists in just 45 games this season and his next destination will surely dominate the summer transfer talk.