SEOUL, South Korea (Yonhap) By Kim Dong-chan Reporter = Spanish professional soccer club Real Madrid is looking to finalize the signing of French league player Kylian Mbappe within the first half of August, according to reports.”Real Madrid wants to finalize the signing of Mbappe before the start of the 2023-2024 season,” U.S. sports media outlet ESPN reported on Tuesday, citing a source familiar with the matter.Mbappe, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in France, is under contract through June 2024.PSG would like to sign Mbappe to an extension, but Mbappe has indicated that he will only honor the remaining one year of his contract.If Mbappe’s contract expires at the end of June 2024 and he becomes a free agent, PSG will not be able to collect any transfer fee, so it’s best to sign him to an extension or sell him to another team for a fee before his contract expires.Real Madrid, the favorite to be Mbappe’s next destination, signed England’s Judd Bellingham from German side Dortmund in June for a transfer fee of €130 million.The addition of Bellingham, born in 2003, and Mbappe, born in 1998, will help Real Madrid build a core of talent alongside existing star Vinicius Junior.Local media outlets expect Mbappe’s transfer fee to be in excess of €200 million, and he is expected to sign a contract with Real Madrid through 2029.Real Madrid had originally planned to wait until Mbappe’s contract expires in June 2024, but if PSG were to agree 온라인카지노 to a deal, the club would try to finalize the signing before the start of the 2023-2024 season, if possible.However, according to ESPN, “Real Madrid and PSG have not yet opened talks, with Real Madrid waiting for Mbappe or PSG to make the first move.”The start of the 2023-2024 Spanish Primera Liga season is less than two weeks away on August 12.Meanwhile, PSG, which recently signed South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in, is in the process of signing FC Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele (FRA).Therefore, PSG will be looking to resolve the Mbappe issue and finalize the Dembele deal before the start of the 2023-2024 season on August 12.