Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Kylian Mbappe and David De Gea

Real Madrid have reportedly matched Manchester City's €130 million bid for AS Monaco's teenage striker Kylian Mbappe.

Both clubs have made world-record bids for the 18-year-old, according to French source Telefoot (h/t Metro):

"The French media outlet are reporting that City have lodged an offer that would greatly eclipse the €110 million (£93.2 million) paid by Manchester United to land Paul Pogba, the current world-record fee."

City's bid has spurred Los Blancos into action:

"Monaco are yet to reply to the offer, but it has prompted Real Madrid to up their own bid for the teenager and match City's €130 million package."

Real's chances of beating City to the player's signature can be helped by one or two factors. Los Merengues centre-back Raphael Varane has indicated he'll try to persuade Mbappe to consider a move to the Spanish capital.

Speaking to Telefoot (h/t MailOnline's Jonathan Spencer), Varane said: "Mbappe is a very good youngster with a huge potential. It would be a pleasure to see him here. In addition to that he is French, so he would be welcome. We will surely get the chance to discuss this."

Varane's charm offensive is one reason why Real may have the upper hand in any negotiations for Mbappe. The player himself is also thought to be a fan of Los Blancos based on some of his posts on social media, per Metro.

Earlier this month, Mbappe was said to have given his consent for a move to Real worth £85 million, according to Spanish source Marca (h/t MailOnline's Anthony Hay).

Any suitor ready to pursue Mbappe would also have been encouraged by the words of Monaco chairman Dmitry Rybolovlev, who recently told French publication L'Equipe (h/t beIN Sports' Matt Spiro), the club is ready to do business:

It's obvious why Mbappe commands such interest. After all, the teenage attacker turned heads and set records during a remarkable season, per Squawka Football:

Mbappe helped Monaco win the Ligue 1 title, but his arrival may hold even greater significance in Madrid, should Real be able to sign him. The Spanish giants have often been criticised for their policy of spending big on so-called galacticos, but they rarely sign stars as young as Mbappe.

However, the club did recently agree to sign 16-year-old Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior from Flamengo in a £38.7 million deal, per a statement from Real (h/t BBC Sport).

Mbappe is a budding talent, one who would safeguard the future of a Real forward line led by 32-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and 29-year-old Karim Benzema.

Real Reject David De Gea Valuation

Real president Florentino Perez has baulked at Manchester United's asking price for goalkeeper David De Gea. Diario Gol (h/t James Walters of the Daily Star) reported United want £61 million for the Spain international.

Dave Thompson/Associated Press

However, Los Blancos president Florentino Perez will only pay a reduced fee for Spain's No. 1, per the report:

"Perez has told Jose Mourinho he will not pay any more than £44 million (€50 million) for De Gea. Diario Gol says the Real chief knows how much the stopper wants to move to the Bernabeu and is playing hardball with United."

The article also stated it will be left to De Gea to force his way out of Old Trafford this summer. It's something he may find difficult, with the Red Devils increasingly confident of keeping the gifted stopper, according to Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News.

United winning the UEFA Europa League and qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League is said to have improved the club's chances of convincing De Gea to stay, per Luckhurst.

However, it's tough to believe De Gea would ultimately turn his back on the chance to return to the Spanish capital. He became a star at Atletico Madrid before moving to Manchester, and the opportunity to play for 11-time European champions Real may be too good to pass up.

JAVIER SORIANO/Getty Images

Signing De Gea would give Real a younger, standout presence between the sticks. Yet Real and Perez are in a position to play hardball over the fee for the 26-year-old, with a quality 'keeper already on the books in the form of Keylor Navas, 30.

In truth, Perez may have no choice but to undercut United's price for De Gea if he intends to push ahead with a record-breaking deal for Mbappe.