Zidane not ruling out Mbappe swoop
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said the club are "lacking a striker", following Alvaro Morata's move to Chelsea, while also admitting his appreciation of the in-demand Kylian Mbappe.
Spain international Morata has left for Stamford Bridge in a deal worth around £58 million (S$102.7m) and Real are widely expected to fill the gap up front, with Monaco's Mbappe a prime target.
The 18-year-old scored 24 goals last season as Monaco claimed their first Ligue 1 title in 17 years and could command a world-record transfer fee of over £100m.
Speaking at a press conference in Los Angeles, Zidane said: "Alvaro has gone and we're lacking a striker at the moment. We saw what he did last year, he played very well and brought a lot to the team... We'll see what we can do about it."
Pushed on the possibility of Mbappe, the French coach continued: "It's always being discussed, but we're here and with the guys who have just arrived, there are 28-30 players.
"We're with them and that's all I think about. Anything can happen until the 31st. He's a good player whom many clubs are interested in."
Zidane also said Cristiano Ronaldo will be with Real for the next few years.
Earlier, a return to Old Trafford for the Portugal captain was being discussed, but such talk appears to have been ill-founded.
Said Zidane: "There's been a lot of talk surrounding Cristiano, that he wanted to go.
"I believe in only one thing. Whenever I've spoken to him, he's been very relaxed.
"He's on holiday and he'll be back with us on Aug 5... I think he'll stay for the next two or three years he's got left with us." - PA SPORT
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