Monaco Chief Reveals Real Madrid Matched PSG's Summer Offer for Kylian Mbappe

Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has revealed Real Madrid were willing to pay as much as Paris Saint-Germain to secure Kylian Mbappe last summer. 

The young forward left Monaco for the French capital on an initial loan deal, although next summer he will complete a permanent move for around £166 million.

Ahead of the season there was intense speculation linking Mbappe with a move to Madrid, and speaking on RMC's Duga show (h/t Mick Gadd of the Daily Mirror), Vasilyev insisted Los Blancos were ready to match PSG in pursuit of one of Europe's brightest talents.

"Yes, Real Madrid offered the same amount as the PSG," he said. "I have always been clear and I won't hide it, but I don't like strengthening a direct competitor. I wouldn't have done it, but I respected Kylian and his family's wishes."

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After winning the Ligue 1 title last season, Monaco saw a number of key players pinched by rival clubs. In addition to Mbappe, Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva left for Manchester City, while Tiemoue Bakayoko joined Chelsea.

At PSG, Mbappe has continued his incredible development, excelling in a role on the right of an attacking trio that also contains Neymar and Edinson Cavani. As noted by football journalist Julien Laurens, the three forwards have been in incredible form:

There have been times this term when manager Unai Emery has taken Mbappe out of the firing line, which is understandable given he's still just 19 years old. It's a luxury PSG can afford given the wealth of attacking talent on their books.

On the right flank he's had to make adjustments to his game, but the youngster terrifies defences regularly. Mbappe has searing pace, is relentless in committing opponents and finishes with tremendous composure.

There are still things for him to learn, though, as his red card in Tuesday's 3-2 win over Rennes in the Coupe de la Ligue proved, per Goal:

However, Emery has been full of praise for the teenager as of late, hailing his extraordinary talent, per AS:

For Madrid, missing out on the France international is likely to be lamented, as Mbappe is on course to become one of the finest footballers on the planet.

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Overall, the La Liga champions have been a disappointment in 2017-18. One of the main issues for the side has been a lack of cutting edge in the final third, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema struggling to hit their usual heights consistently.

Even for a fee of £166 million, Los Blancos would have viewed Mbappe as a shrewd investment, as not only is he a tremendous prospect, he's already making a huge impression at the highest level.

The club and player will be keen to show Madrid what they're missing when the two sides meet in the UEFA Champions League on February 14.