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A video of late Argentina legend Diego Maradona from 2017 has surfaced where he's seen claiming telling Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to sign Kylian Mbappe. The former Barcelona legend breathed his last in November 2020 at the age of 60.
Mbappe had been associated with Los Blancos ever since he moved to PSG in 2017 for a reported fee worth €180 million. That made him the second-most expensive player in world football and the most expensive teenage player of all time.
Following their UEFA Champions League victory last season against Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid announced the signing of Mbappe on a five-year contract in June. He joined on a free transfer and will reportedly make a whopping €15m (£12.8m) a year.
In the video that surfaced, Maradona called the 25-year-old Mbappe a "revelation" and claimed that he had urged Perez to bag the Frenchman's signature. Here's what Maradona had said (via Pubity Sport):
"Mbappe for me is the biggest revelation in football. I think he can surpass many players. I told Florentino Perez 'Sign Mbappe'...I told him when we saw each other at FIFA."
During his seven-year stint in France, Mbappe won Ligue 1 six times and finished as the top scorer as many times. Furthermore, he led PSG to their first UEFA Champions League final in 2020, losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
Real Madrid won 15th Champions League title after beating Borussia Dortmund in the final
Los Blancos reached their 18th UEFA Champions League final after defeating Bayern Munich 4-3 on aggregate. Dortmund, meanwhile, reached their first Champions League final since 2013 after beating PSG 2-0 on aggregate.
However, goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Jr, secured a record-extending 15th Champions League title for Real Madrid. It was Marco Reus' final appearance for BvB.
Moreover, Los Blancos star midfielder Toni Kroos announced his retirement from professional football. While he won his sixth Champions League title, he couldn't help Germany avert elimination to Spain in the Euro 2024 quarter-final in Stuttgart on Friday, July 5, losing 2-1 in extra time.
