Manchester Giants Prepare to Battle Over French Sensation as PSG Face Financial Fair Play Nightmare

Manchester United and Manchester City are set to go head to head in the pursuit of French forward Kylian Mbappé, as Paris Saint-Germain are rumoured to be backing out of a deal to sign the player permanently from Monaco due to Financial Fair Play concerns.

According to the Mirror, the Ligue 1 giants had agreed to sign the 19-year-old sensation on a £166m permanent deal this summer - following his one season loan spell in Paris - but may now have to abandon the deal as FFP sanctions loom large. The two Manchester sides are believed to be the frontrunners to snatch Mbappé, while Real Madrid could also make a move.

PSG's £198m acquisition of Neymar last summer meant that the planned purchase of Mbappé was required to be postponed until this summer, but their precautions may not have been sufficient, with the club's lavish spending seeing them likely to face FFP action, which could go as far as an expulsion from next season's Champions League.

Competition for Mbappé's services are likely to be fierce, and a bidding frenzy could begin after the conclusion of the World Cup, where the tenacious youngster is playing for France. United are believed to have already made contact with Monaco over the possibility of sealing a deal, with wantaway forward Anthony Martial likely to be used in a player plus cash deal.

City will also feel confident on their chances, given the enormous spending power the club possesses. The Premier League champions will be eager to strengthen their already formidable array of talents ahead of next season, and signing Mbappé would make a powerful statement over their desire to dominate the English top tier.

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Meanwhile, Man Utd striker Romelu Lukaku is now neck and neck with for Old Trafford favourite Cristiano Ronaldo in the race to win the World Cup Golden Boot. The Belgian's brace in his side's emphatic 5-2 win over Tunisia on Saturday saw him draw level with Ronaldo on four goals, and both players look capable of adding to their tally as the tournament continues.