Achraf Hakimi a target for Europe’s top clubs in 2026

Reports in France are beginning to surface regarding Achraf Hakimi (25), and the possibility of him leaving PSG this coming summer. Real Madrid are said to be his preferred destination given that he grew up in their youth academy and became part of the first team for one season (2017-18), in which he won the Champions League.

However, AS understands that the Spanish-Moroccan player has no plans to move from PSG in June and his intention is to fulfil his current contract with the club, which ties him in the French capital until 2026.

What happens after that date is another story. PSG intend to renew Achraf, for whom they paid €65 million to Inter Milan in 2021; Madrid had sold him just one year earlier to Inter for €40 million. The club has already informed the right-back’s representatives of their intention to talk about a new contract, but that is as far as negotiations have gone as things stand.

Could Real Madrid sign Achraf?

There have been no meetings in this regard. Nor has he asked to leave PSG, as has been published from France; last summer there were doubts regarding the turbulent situation at the club, but the arrival of Luis Enrique calmed the waters.

What is certain is that several clubs in Europe are keeping an eye on his situation. Starting with Real Madrid, especially given the fact that the club will look to renew the right-back spot. Lucas Vázquez’s contract expires this summer and Carvajal’s (32-years-old) ends in 2025. The great season that Carvajal is having suggests that he can continue beyond that date, hence why 2026 may be the ideal time for the replacement on the right side of the Santiago Bernabéu pitch.

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City interested in the PSG right-back

Another interested club is Guardiola’s Manchester City, who already enquired about Achraf last summer as Kyle Walker was set to leave for Bayern Munich; the club will soon be looking for a candidate to fill the role and the Spanish-Moroccan is the favourite on their list.

Of course, there are other interested parties, but the range of clubs that could go all out for the signing of Achraf is very limited, given that the wages he already receives at PSG are significant; according to L’Équipe, his annual salary is over €12 million ($13 million) per season.

But that decision will come in 2026, according to the current feelings of the player and his entourage. Until then, he wants to continue to succeed at PSG, where he has already won two Ligue 1 titles and two French Super Cups. He is still chasing the Champions League, something which he did achieve at Madrid. During Achraf’s time in France, he has undoubtedly grown in value: he is the second highest-rated right-back on Transfermarkt at €65 million, second only to Liverpool’s Alexander-Arnold, who is rated at €70 million.

A future at Real Madrid was always one of his goals, as he revealed in an interview with AS back in 2019, when he was still playing on loan at Borussia Dortmund: “I’m not going to lie, of course I would like to succeed there. I’ve grown up in Madrid, it’s my home and that’s where I’d like to grow, but if not I’ll try to succeed elsewhere.” Whatever happens, the goal is to make it happen in 2026, although this summer everything indicates that his best friend in the PSG dressing room, none other than Kylian Mbappé, will go to Spain before him.