Will Kylian Mbappe play in the Premier League? ‘Good destination’ picked out for World Cup winner once the day comes to leave Real Madrid

At 27 years of age, decisions will need to be made relatively quickly on whether or not Mbappe wants to take on a new challenge in a division that he has never previously graced. He is tied to a contract at Santiago Bernabeu through to the summer of 2029.

Questions are already being asked of whether said terms will be honoured, despite netting 86 goals through 103 appearances for the Blancos, with there suggestions that he lacks full support from those around him in the Spanish capital.

Mbappe is, however, a record breaker - as Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time leading scorer and a man that will soon hold a similar standing within the France national team - that would be welcomed onto the books of just about any club on the planet.

With that in mind, and having seen a possible stint at Arsenal mooted in the past - which would allow him to follow in the footsteps of legendary countryman Thierry Henry - could a Premier League switch be agreed?

Quizzed on whether he sees Mbappe making such a move, and where he will end up, ex-Old Trafford striker Saha - speaking in an exclusive interview with GOAL courtesy of Unibet World Cup odds - said: “Yeah, I really hope so. I would love to see him in the Premier League.

“I think after experiencing La Liga, he’s done really well. Why not go into the Premier League? Because he knows it’s one of the best leagues to perform in.

“There are not many clubs who could attract Kylian Mbappe. I do think that Manchester City maybe has one of the best strikers already [Erling Haaland], so I do think that Manchester United could be a good destination for Mbappe.”

Club matters have been pushed to the back of Mbappe’s mind for now. He is, while working through pre-tournament friendlies, ready to open another quest for World Cup glory - having claimed that title as a teenager in 2018 and scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final before coming unstuck against Lionel Messi and Argentina in a penalty shootout.

France are expected to go well again on North American soil, with their talismanic captain quite literally leading from the front. If Les Bleus go close to the ultimate prize again, then their skipper should fill his boots on the goal front.

He claimed Golden Boot honours in Qatar and will be looking to go back-to-back on that front, making history in the process as the first man to land that award on two occasions. There will, however, be fierce competition in the leading marksman stakes.

Pressed on whether Mbappe can beat England striker Harry Kane - another past Golden Boot winner - to a prestigious individual accolade, Saha said: “Oh, that’s a difficult one. I think that Kylian is always the main guy in that kind of thing, because he can score his own goals, and can score three goals in the World Cup final without any invitation.

“So, to be honest, I do think that Kylian is still the main man. Harry Kane still needs this kind of number 10 behind him to provide those kind of goals or that kind of creativity. Sometimes I’m not so sure about England in tournaments, but you are talking about someone who can score 60 goals a season.

“But in a tournament like the World Cup, it’s going to be a very strange format, very long, a lot of travelling. I think that Kylian, for that kind of format, is very suited for that, and he will win the Golden Boot.”

France have a final friendly date with Northern Ireland to take in on Monday before getting their World Cup Group I campaign up and running against Senegal on June 16. From there they will go on to face Iraq and Norway in what has already been billed as the ‘Group of Death’.

Mbappe’s stock could rise even further in the weeks ahead. It appears as though he will be working with Jose Mourinho at club levelnext season, as the 'Special One' heads back to Madrid for a second spell as head coach, but whether he goes on to grace the Premier League in the years to come is yet to be determined.