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After years of speculation and rumors, Kylian Mbappe officially signing with Real Madrid is on the verge of becoming a reality.
According to reports, the world-class French forward is set to sign a 5-year deal with the iconic La Liga club that will reportedly pay him $162 million upfront before he earns $16 million per season.
“He is set to sign a five-year deal with Real, earning $16 million a season, plus a $162 million signing-on bonus to be paid over five years, and he will keep a percentage of his image rights.”
“Mbappe has not signed a contract with Real yet, but the deal could be announced once it is no longer possible for the clubs to meet in this season’s Champions League. Mbappe wanted his future sorted before March, so on 13 February, before training, he met PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and told him he was leaving and joining Real.” [via BBC]
According to the BBC report, if legendary 38-year-old midfielder Luka Modric leaves the club this summer, Mbappe will take the #10 shirt, which is the number that he wears for France.
Following the departure of Karim Benzema last season, Real Madrid’s #9 shirt is also currently unoccupied, which could be an option for Mbappe. #7, the number that the Frenchman wore with PSG, is currently worn by Brazilian star Vinicius Jr.
Now 25-years-old, Mbappe is no longer a prodigy or a wunderkind — it’s his time to add meaningful titles to his reputation as the both current and next-best player in the world, and Real Madrid is certainly the place to do that, as they have a world-best 14 Champions League trophies.
During his career with Paris Saint-Germain, which began with a loan spell during the 2017-18 season before he officially signed with the club the next season, Mbappe scored a staggering 169 goals in 196 appearances. He finished as the top scorer in Ligue 1 in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, and led the club to its first-ever Champions League final in 2020, although they lost to Bayer Munich.
Mbappe has had much more success in the international game, as he’s helped lead France to two World Cup finals, winning one in 2018.