Mbappe to join Real Madrid at end of season
PARIS – France captain Kylian Mbappe will join La Liga giants Real Madrid when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain finishes at the end of the season, Le Parisien and ESPN reported on Saturday.
He said in 2023 that he would not renew his contract at the Ligue 1 side when it expires at the end of the current campaign, allowing him to move on to another club on a free transfer.
He has been free to sign a pre-contract agreement since the transfer window opened on Jan 1.
French newspaper Le Parisien and ESPN, citing sources, said the 25-year-old striker would announce a pre-contract agreement with the 14-time European champions in the coming week.
However, Diario Sport have suggested that PSG are annoyed by the news and will pressure Mbappe to delay any announcement till the end of the season.
“With the agreement I reached with the president this summer, whatever my decision, we managed to protect all parties and preserve the club’s peace of mind for the challenges to come – that’s the most important thing,” Mbappe said on Jan 3, after PSG’s victory in the Champions Trophy.
ESPN reported that neither Real nor PSG have been updated by Mbappe, but the decision has already been made. They reported that PSG had offered their star attacker a pay bump on his €72 million (S$104 million) gross yearly salary, but it was not taken up. His wages at Real could be half of what he earns in the French capital.
The Daily Mail reported that Real will give Mbappe a €100 million signing-on fee and offer him a larger share of his image rights.
They claim Real usually take 50 per cent of their players’ image rights, but are willing to make a 60-40 split in Mbappe’s favour.
In early January, AFP reported Mbappe had turned his back on “several tens of millions” of euros in a bid to ease a possible move away from PSG. In an agreement he reached with the club last summer, a source claimed the striker waived bonuses amounting to around €60 to €70 million, covering the club financially in the event of his departure when his contract expires in June.
Le Parisien reported in January that the contract he signed in 2022 secured Mbappe a salary of €72 million per year, a signing bonus of €150 million and a loyalty bonus which rose from €70 million in year one to €90 million in year three.
By staying in Paris until June, without extending his contract beyond that, the Frenchman could have secured a payment of more than €200 million.
One potential ray of hope for PSG is Mbappe’s desire to represent France at their home Olympics from July 26 to Aug 11.
PSG have been supportive of him linking up with Thierry Henry’s team, and he would want a similar commitment from Real.
Mbappe was heavily linked with a move to Real in 2022, but announced a contract extension with PSG just weeks before the transfer window opened. – REUTERS, AFP
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