Kylian Mbappé to Saudi talk shows football is now poker for world’s richest

France forward’s potential move would effectively be a deal between states – with the player trapped by his own success

At the time of writing, officials from Al-Hilal are in Paris negotiating the transfer of Kylian Mbappé, who will be expected to replace some of the 26 goals provided last season by Odion Ighalo. With forward Luciano Vietto also leaving in the summer, the Blue Waves have joined the list of clubs in the Saudi Pro League looking for a proven goalscorer who can also play out wide. Although you also wonder how Mbappé’s arrival will impact the club’s current left winger and star of the recent World Cup, the veteran Salem al-Dawsari. What a way to treat a club legend.

Perhaps on reflection this is the only respect in which the signing of Mbappé from Paris Saint-Germain makes any kind of sense: as a footballing solution to a footballing problem, the missing piece of the Al-Hilal jigsaw. Will defenders be wary of fouling Mbappé on the edge of the penalty area, given the presence of Rúben Neves on free-kick duty? Will Neves even be allowed to take the free-kicks? How will Mbappé adapt to the pace and intensity of the Pro League? Will he gel with Moussa Marega? And if not, who will be the one to make way? The new coach, Jorge Jesus, may end up with a dilemma on his hands.