Kylian Mbappe, who took a wage reduction, is now the best-paid player at Real Madrid after apparently signing a deal.
The French sensation caused a stir in the football world when he reportedly informed Paris Saint-Germain that he would be leaving the team in the summer, with the Spanish powerhouses widely favored to sign the 25-year-old.
The move to the Santiago Bernabeu appears to be getting closer every day since Mbappe has been linked to Spain for a long time. According to Marca, the France captain signed a contract with Real Madrid two weeks ago.
The Parisian is ‘ making a serious commitment’ to Madrid, according to the Spanish daily, even though he will have to accept a wage cut. However, the Daily Mail stated that he will still surpass Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, who are supposedly earning £10.3 million a season, as the highest-paid player at the club.
If a deal is finalized, Madrid will allegedly pay a signing-on fee of approximately £85.5 million and start negotiating on the portion of Mbappe’s image rights that he will retain. Otherwise, Mbappe would join on a free transfer. According to Marca, PSG was advised ‘not to bother’ by the Frenchman’s entourage, luring him to remain at the club.
Although Mbappe’s contract includes a 12-month extension clause for the 2024–25 season, only he, not the club, can activate it, and the time for doing so expired on July 31 of last year.
The Frenchman is anticipated to make between £12 million and £17 million a year in Madrid, plus bonuses. This would represent a significant pay cut given that he now makes a projected £22 million a year from his lucrative contract with the Ligue 1 winners.
PSG club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi reaffirmed his desire for Mbappe to stay with the team he has been with for the last seven years despite the widespread rumors regarding his future.
“Look, I’m not hiding anything,” he said to RMC. I hope Mbappe stays. He is the greatest player in the world in my opinion, and Paris is Kylian’s best club.