"He's a world-class player" - Barcelona star addresses claims that Kylian Mbappe could join club this summer 

Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde has spoken highly of Kylian Mbappe after the French superstar has been linked with a move to the reigning La Liga champions.

L'Equipe recently reported that Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have scheduled talks to discuss the potential transfer of Mbappe, who has entered the final year of his contract.

The Frenchman informed PSG via a letter that he has no intention of extending his contract with the club. That lead to him being dropped from the club's pre-season tour of Japan and PSG putting him up for sale this summer.

When asked about the prospect of linking up with Mbappe at Barcelona, Balde called the Frenchman a world-class player but did not wade into the discussion about Mbappe's future.

“It’s not up to me. He’s a world-class player, but I don’t know anything about his future,” he said (via SPORT/barcauniversal)

Barcelona have added the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Inigo Martinez to their squad this summer, two veterans with extensive experience. Balde said that he's looking forward to working with the club's new signings and has set his sights on helping the club do well in the UEFA Champions League.

“The club has made good signings. They are veterans with great experience. The Champions League is a pending task. We have to try to do good things,” he added.

Kylian Mbappe was in good form in front of goal last season, bagging 41 goals and ten assists in 43 games across competitions.

Having joined the club from AS Monaco in 2017 for a reported €145 million, the 24-year-old has become the Parisians' all-time top scorer with 212 goals. He has also bagged 98 assists in 260 games.

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PSG open to letting Kylian Mbappe go out on loan

Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly open to the idea of letting Kylian Mbappe make a loan move ahead of the 2023-23 season.

According to BBC Sport's Simon Stone, PSG are keen on securing a substantial loan fee for the Frenchman before they lose him on a free transfer in the summer of 2024.

Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal have reportedly offered €300 million to lure Mbappe to the Middle East, along with a €700 million one-year contract to the player. They're said to be willing to allow the 24-year-old forward to join Real Madrid, a club he has been linked with for a while, in a year's time.