Barcelona chief Laporta: Mbappé will distort Madrid squad

Barcelona president Joan Laporta says he is not jealous of Kylian Mbappé's potential move to Real Madrid and suggested the French international's arrival could “distort” the team's dressing room.

Mbappé is expected to join Madrid when his contract at Paris Saint-Germain expires this summer, with ESPN reporting last month that the La Liga giants hope to finalize a deal for the player soon.

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However, Laporta claimed the deal could go wrong, highlighting the salary Mbappé will get and the fact he prefers to play from the left, like Vinícius Júnior.

“No, not at all,” Laporta told Mundo Deportivo when asked if he envied Madrid's pursuit of Mbappé.

“But I don't know if they will sign it or not. Let's see. [If they do] they will have a problem there. They will have to transfer a player, right? Because two players are not going to play in the same position…

“And speaking of the numbers involved [in the deal], it will distort the locker room that's for sure. It’s not a gift.”

Laporta's comments come after Madrid defender Dani Carvajal insisted Mbappé's potential arrival would not lead to “jealousy” or other problems at the club.

The World Cup winner would join a forward line already consisting of Vinícius, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Brahim Díaz and Joselu, which has propelled Madrid to the top of La Liga and into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Even though Mbappé would arrive as a free agent, he would still benefit from a large salary and a substantial signing fee, although La Liga president Javier Tebas said Madrid had the funds to complete the signing.

“Madrid has enough financial fair play margin to recruit Mbappé and other players,” Tebas said on Monday.

The situation couldn't be more different at Barca, who are still exceeding the annual spending limit imposed by La Liga, with Tebas repeatedly saying he will have to transfer players before registering new signings this summer.

Despite his economic problems, Laporta remains optimistic about his ability to challenge for La Liga, where he is second behind Madrid, and for the Champions League, with a quarter-final coming up against Mbappé's PSG.

“We have a chance in both competitions,” Laporta said. “We dream of achieving something that, at the moment, is not a fantasy, but a realistic possibility.

“We are in the round of 16 in Europe and have a difficult match against PSG, but we have the second leg at home, which is good for us. The team is super motivated.

“La Liga is there too. We are eight points away and Madrid are not giving up, but we will not throw in the towel.”