- If Real Madrid spends big in the summer transfer market, then it should sign the 20-year-old Kylian Mbappe over Neymar, 27.
- That is the view of the former Real Madrid manager Vicente del Bosque, who trashed Neymar's maturity by saying he acts like a child.
- His comments follow criticism from a British politician who branded Neymar a "clown" at the 2018 FIFA World Cup last summer.
- Mbappe, meanwhile, has generated positive headlines because of his sublime play on the pitch.
- Both players could be available to purchase in the summer transfer market, but would likely command huge fees in excess of $250 million.
- Read more of Business Insider's coverage for the 2018-2019 soccer season right here.
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Vicente del Bosque, a former Real Madrid manager, says he'd rather see Kylian Mbappe at the club than Neymar because the Brazilian acts like a child.
The Paris Saint-Germain players have been linked with a blockbuster trade away from Paris and would not be short of admirers should they be available in the transfer market because of their age, ability, and commercial worth.
With a strike rate of one goal scored or created once for every 61.6 minutes he has played in combined Ligue 1 and Champions League appearances this season, Mbappe is the most prolific forward in Europe besides Lionel Messi.
And though Neymar was injured for three months this year, the 27-year-old was still able to score almost one goal in every PSG game he played on average.
Read more: This Neymar skill is so smooth it belongs in Nike's iconic World Cup airport advert
Mbappe and Neymar have lit up French soccer, but both have ambiguous futures.
Five factors earlier in the year suggested a transfer away from PSG was in play for Neymar, while Mbappe said on Sunday that he is seeking additional responsibility before the 2019-2020 soccer season and would be willing to move clubs to get it.
Mbappe or Neymar would represent a marquee acquisition if Real was able to seal a deal, but del Bosque, who won two UEFA Champions League titles during his four-year stint at the Stadio Santiago Bernabeu club between 1999 and 2003, would only want one of them - Mbappe.
"I'd sign Mbappe because he seems more sensitive," del Bosque told Radio MARCA and Cope's El Partidazo this week. "Neymar even imitates children throwing himself around."
Neymar was famously called a "clown" by a British politician during last summer's FIFA World Cup because of his play-acting at the tournament in Russia.
Last month, the 27-year-old attracted controversy after he appeared to lash out at a fan who had reportedly mocked his performance in a French cup match.
20-year-old Mbappe, in contrast, has been headline news throughout the 2018-2019 soccer season because of positive reasons like scoring goals that are like works of art, for shining even without Neymar in the team, and for once scoring four goals in 13 minutes.
Neymar has a $167 million market valuation, according to the Switzerland-based sports think tank the CIES Football Observatory, but the Spanish daily newspaper MARCA reported last year that a release clause in Neymar's PSG contract would soon become active. This means he could be bought out of the deal should PSG be reimbursed for what it paid Barcelona in 2017 - that's $261 million, and PSG may be loathe to accept a dollar less.
Mbappe, meanwhile, is worth €250 million in the current transfer climate, CIES says.