Zinedine Zidane Dismisses Kylian Mbappe Questions, Wants 'BBC' to Stay at Madrid

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane declined to answer questions about AS Monaco forward Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday but insisted he is keen to keep Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo at the club. 

"That question is not for me, it is for someone else," the coach responded, when asked about Madrid's reported pursuit of Mbappe, per Pablo Polo of Marca.

Per the report, links with the youngster have prompted speculation that one of the club's current forward line—the BBC—might be on the move. But Zidane denied they will be looking to move any of the trio on.

"I hope that BBC remains, hopefully all of them will stay," he noted. "But until August 31 anything can happen."

According to Polo, Madrid are poised to break the world transfer record to bring in Mbappe from Monaco. The 18-year-old will reportedly cost around €180 million (£160 million) to prise away from the Stade Louis II.

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Naturally, that will lead to questions about the other forwards at the club, and Manchester United would jump at the chance to sign Bale if Los Blancos offer any inclination he's for sale, according to Rob Dawson of ESPN FC.

As noted below, according to AS, plenty of Madridistas would be happy to see the back of the Welshman at this juncture:

If Mbappe does come in, it'll be intriguing to see where he fits into the Madrid squad. Ronaldo typically operates in an advanced position on the left, with Benzema a fine foil through the middle. On the right side, Bale, Isco and Marco Asensio will be competing for a regular starting berth.

With that in mind, the prospective world's most expensive player may find himself on the bench frequently next season should he head to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Still, with Alvaro Morata sold to Chelsea, Mbappe will get plenty of chances to not only feature but lead the line for Madrid. Sid Lowe of the Guardian believes the youngster will fulfil the same role as the Spain international in the squad:

But if Mbappe takes La Liga by storm as he did Ligue 1 last season, he'll be pushing for a starting spot. That may spell trouble for Bale.

After all, Ronaldo is not going to be dislodged, while Benzema is considered "untouchable" and will be offered a new contract, according to Marca (h/t Football Espana). Meanwhile, Isco was sensational when replacing the Welshman late last season and Asensio is a world-class player in the making.

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Bale is an exceptional talent, but his injury record would make a big offer tempting for Los Blancos; given his age and profile, the club would be able to recoup a massive amount for his sale. However, ESPN FC's Alex Shaw doesn't see a deal happening:

"

PSG/Neymar: £220m.
City/Madrid/Mbappe: £160m.

Woodward's bound to be up for Bale for £100m+ but just can't see him/Madrid listening.

— Alex Shaw (@AlexShawESPN) July 26, 2017"

Zidane will hope Bale can rediscover his full fitness in pre-season and put together a consistent run of games early in 2017-18. Should he do that, the 28-year-old can be a key man for this Madrid outfit.

If that consistency proves to be beyond Bale, and those competing with him for a spot in the XI continue on an upward trajectory, Madrid will have a big decision to make.