Monaco's Kylian Mbappe wearing No. 10 shirt amid Real Madrid, Barca links

Kylian Mbappe will continue wearing Monaco's No. 10 shirt vacated by Bernardo Silva this summer as the French champions begin their Ligue 1 title defence amid transfer speculation over their starlet forward.

French media reported earlier this week Mbappe, 18, has told Monaco he wants to leave the principality club after months of speculation about his future.

Real Madrid and Barcelona -- now cash-rich following the world-record €222 million sale of Neymar to Monaco's Ligue 1 rivals, Paris Saint-Germain -- are now expected to do battle to secure the services of Mbappe, who scored 26 goals in all competitions last term.

However, Mbappe, who wore the No. 29 last season, has been wearing the iconic No. 10 worn by Silva for all of Monaco's preseason matches this summer, and will continue in Friday's Ligue 1 season opener against Toulouse at the Stade Louis II.

Despite the speculation surrounding their major asset's future, Monaco are determined to hold on to Mbappe for at least another season, and last month threatened to report certain, unnamed clubs for making unlawful approachesto their coveted youth academy product.

Another major reported transfer target, Fabinho, who has been linked heavily to Manchester United, PSG and Atletico Madrid, has kept the No. 2 shirt he wore last season, while Thomas Lemar, who is reportedly being closely followed by Arsenal, retains his No. 27.

Monaco have already sold Silva and Benjamin Mendy to City as well as midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko to Chelsea -- all key members of their title-winning side -- this summer in deals that netted the club an estimated €150m.

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