The most drawn-out transfer saga in recent history is finally set to come to an end this summer when Kylian Mbappe leaves Paris Saint Germain. The French striker has been teasing a move away from his boyhood club for years now but always ended up signing a new contract, although this summer will be different.
One of the most talented and coveted attackers in all of football is set to become a free agent later this year and many believe he will end up at Real Madrid, the club that's tracked him for the longest amount of time.
Mbappe will indeed have to give up certain bonuses and clauses in his PSG contract to depart in the summer, but to join Los Blancos as a free agent and receive a major signing-on bonus, it's merely a small price to pay for the speedy Frenchmen.
While all the focus has been on Mbappe and where he will end up after his PSG journey, the hierarchy in Paris will be extensively searching all over Europe for his replacement as they look to finally have some materialistic success in the Champions League.
We believe the best value and strikers on offer are currently going to come from the Serie A. So, we're going to dive into the striker transfer market and analyse a handful of players who could fit the mould and replace Mbappe this summer.
Summer 2024 transfer predictions
Victor Osimhen – Napoli
Victor Osimhen joining PSG appears to be the most likely outcome this summer. The Nigerian international is said to already know what his next move will be come the end of the season and with PSG in need of a new striker come the summer, it appears as though everything is adding up.
Osimhen will likely cost one excess of £100 million, but with the Parisian outfit saving on Mbappe's wages etc, they should be able to fund this move. The Nigerian has established himself as one of the deadliest strikers on the continent having netted 44 times since the beginning of last term.
With 3.7 shots per game in the Serie A, Osimhen would be testing out all the keepers in Ligue 1 if he decided to switch clubs. Mbappe is one of the best attackers in the world, so replacing him with one of the shoot-happy players in Europe would be a smart move.
Lautaro Martinez – Inter Milan
Lautaro Martinez would perhaps be top of this list in terms of fitting the current PSG system due to his balance, low centre of gravity and fast runs in behind, but he's very much at home in the Italian capital.
Martinez is said to be in discussions with Inter Milan over a new deal to extend his fantastic tenure at the San Siro and that may well put an end to any sort of pursuit.
However, Martinez would be a perfect fit for PSG and Luis Enrique's system. The Spaniard loves playing with a smaller and more nimble striker, so Martinez would thrive. His ability to pick out a progressive pass – something he's done on 71 occasions this term – would be key to allowing PSG's attack-minded wingers to get in behind, although it would need an astronomical bid.
Martinez fluffed his lines in the Champions League with Inter Milan, but he is likely to bounce back in the Serie A, so backing him to score anytime against Empoli can be found at 6/4*.
Dusan Vlahovic – Juventus
Dusan Vlahovic is thriving once against at Juventus after a bit of a rocky patch earlier in his time with the Old Lady. The Serbian striker is the second top scorer in the Serie A – only behind Martinez – so is going to be on the radar of plenty of clubs this summer.
Vlahovic has just two years left on his contract with Juventus so may not prove to be too expensive for PSG this summer. He would provide more of a physical approach to their game as well as someone who is lethal inside the 18-yard box.
If PSG are searching for a striker who will never give up and constantly be looking to get shots off at goal, then look no further than Vlahovic. The Serbian is sitting top of the charts in Italy when it comes to shots per 90 minutes. Juventus are unlikely to be willing sellers this summer having overcome the worst of their financial woes, so it could prove to be tricky negotiations.
With the Serbian so keen to test goalkeepers, getting odds of 11/2 for him to have 3+ shots on target is very enticing*.
Rafael Leao – AC Milan
Rafael Leao is certainly an exciting prospect and his versatility will make him attractive for a lot of clubs in the summer and moving forward, but he certainly isn't someone PSG should be targeting to replace Mbappe.
Leao has had a major drop off from last season when he scored 15 times in the Serie A for AC Milan, but he's only managed to find the back of the net four times in the league. So, he's clearly shown flaws in his game and playing as a more natural winger this season should be enough to put PSG off the Portuguese attacker.
The fact he's playing out wide is enough to make Enrique opt for one of the other above-mentioned strikers. PSG already have enough players currently having to be played out of position, and doing the same with Leao would simply be a waste of money.
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