The striker Kylian Mbappe of Paris St. Germain has decided to sign with Real Madrid this summer.
With his contract set to expire in June, Kylian Mbappe the 25-year-old France captain has informed PSG that he plans to leave the team.
Though Mbappe hasn’t signed a contract with Real yet, that could change once the teams can’t play each other in the Champions League this year.
With 244 goals, the World Cup winner holds the record for most goals scored by PSG.
Mbappe notified PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi that he was quitting the team to join Real Madrid on February 13 before training because he wanted his future resolved before March.
Mbappe was left off of the starting lineup for Saturday’s game against Nantes due to rumors that he would be leaving last Thursday. However, he would score a penalty off the bench as PSG moved 14 points ahead atop Ligue 1.
With a five-year contract, he will earn 15 million euros (£12.8 million) a season in addition to a 150 million euro (£128 million) signing-on bonus spread out over those five years. He will also retain a portion of his image rights.
With Mbappe positioned left of center, Brazilian Vinicius Jr. on the left, and England’s Jude Bellingham in a more advanced spot, Real manager Carlo Ancelotti has already planned how to use Mbappe in his lineup.
Luka Modric, a midfielder for Croatia, could leave this summer, leaving Mbappe to take the number 10 shirt for France.
After the first leg of their Champions League last-16 match, PSG leads Real Sociedad 2-0, while Real leads RB Leipzig 1-0.
How did we get here?
Before signing a 180 million euro (£165.7 million) loan deal to join PSG as an 18-year-old in 2017, Mbappe won the French championship with Monaco.
In 291 games, he has totaled 244 goals and 93 assists for PSG, helping the team win five Ligue 1 titles.
After the 2021–22 campaign, Mbappe was scheduled to sign a two-year contract extension with PSG, with the option of a further year.
Mbappe was not chosen for PSG’s preseason vacation to Japan in July of last year, though, when he informed them that he would not accept the additional 12 months of the contract.
After that, he turned down a world record £259 million bid for him from Al-Hilal, a Saudi Pro League team, and declined to meet with their officials.
According to PSG, after “very constructive and positive” talks, he resumed first-team training.
When Mbappe signed his current contract with PSG in May 2022, he declined a move to Real Madrid.
Given that he has a one-year extension clause, the player will likely have to make financial concessions or sell the player with a transfer fee to go.