Kylian Mbappe is set to depart PSG and Real Madrid look to have won the race despite interest from the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.
Kylian Mbappe is set to take a significant pay cut to complete a move to Real Madrid.
The French superstar earns a reported £22million-a-year in his bumper Paris Saint-Germain deal but could see that drop by as much as £10m to play at the Bernabeu. Reports in Spain suggest that Mbappe’s package will be worth between £12m and £17m plus bonuses.
The World Cup winner is said to have agreed a five-year deal with Los Blancos having informed PSG of his intention to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season. While being forced to take a pay cut to make the move, he would still become the highest paid player in the Spanish capital.
A massive £85m signing on fee will ensure Mbappe isn’t left hurting but Real Madrid did not see the deal as one they should make at any cost. The progress of Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior has provided the club with confidence they already have two of the best players in the world.
After the news emerged of Mbappe’s pending departure last week, the France international started on the bench for PSG’s clash with Nantes. The 25-year-old entered the fray with half an hour remaining and earned a penalty when he knocked the ball through the legs of Douglas Augusto before being clipped in the box. The forward dispatched the spotkick into the corner as the Parisian side recorded a 2-0 win.
PSG are reluctant to lose their star who has scored a stunning 244 goals in 291 appearances and provided 105 assists. The announcement of his departure is set to be made in the coming months.
La Liga president Javier Tebas recently commented that Real Madrid’s chances of landing the forward were only increasing. He said: “I said [the chances] were around 50 per cent some weeks ago, now it’s even more.
“55-60? Yes, I think so. Every day that passes and Mbappe does not sign the new contract with PSG, the percentage increases. I don’t know the costs of Mbappe deal but in any case, Real have an excellent financial situation. They never did crazy things in the recent years.”
Arsenal bos Mikel Arteta wants his side to be included in the conversation of Mbappe’s next step however. He said last week: “”When there is a player of that calibre we always have to be in the conversation.
“But as you said it looks in a different way. Why not? If we want to be the best team, we are going to need the best talent and the best players, that is for sure.”