Kylian Mbappe Reportedly Ready to Leave Monaco; Barcelona Possible Suitors

AS Monaco starlet Kylian Mbappe has reportedly decided to leave his current club during the summer transfer window, and Barcelona could be in for the youngster.

French daily L'Equipe (h/t ESPN FC's Jonathan Johnson) reported the news late on Wednesday, adding Barca could be interested in the wake of Neymar's pending transfer to Paris Saint-Germain:

The France international has mostly been linked with rivals Real Madrid so far, and Marca's Carlos Carpio previously reported a deal had been agreed. Monaco quickly moved to deny the rumour, via Nice-Matin (h/t Get French Football News), but the speculation has been constant:

Barcelona would be new players in the ongoing saga, but following Wednesday's shock news that Neymar is on his way to France, the Catalans suddenly fit the profile of real suitors for the 18-year-old. As reported by Ed Malyon of The Independent, the club will have around £200 million more to spend when the Brazilian's move goes through, as well as a major hole in their attack.

Stylistically, Mbappe would be a great replacement. Like Neymar, he loves to drift to the left wing and take on his marker directly, cutting inside on to his right foot. He's mostly played as a central striker so far but has the athleticism and dribbling ability to move out wide.

Claude Paris/Associated Press

Beating rivals Real to his signature would be a major win for Barcelona, something the club sorely needs following Neymar's departure. Mbappe's ceiling could well be higher than that of the Brazil international, and this transfer could just save Barcelona's transfer window.

Convincing Monaco to sell won't be easy, however. By waiting this long to make his decision, Mbappe has given the club little time to find a suitable replacement, so they could opt to stand firm for now.