Liverpool was never going to be a contender for Kylian Mbappé, with Real Madrid the only plausible alternative for the PSG starlet. But the price of his demands is exorbitant.
The rumor mill is whirling again with news of Kylian Mbappé’s potential move from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid. The French captain and PSG forward has reportedly laid down three significant financial requirements to finalize the move as his contract expires in June — and they reveal a lot about why it was never a viable option for Liverpool.
At 25, Mbappé can officially leave the Ligue 1 winners for free, but his move to Real Madrid will be far from cheap. Real has spent nearly two years painstakingly preparing a potentially record-breaking agreement for Mbappé. According to Cadena Ser, the French singer has made three astonishing demands, the first of which is an annual gross compensation of $54 million (£43 million/€50 million). This salary would overshadow that of his probable future colleagues, such as Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, who earn roughly half that much.
In addition to his salary, Mbappé is reportedly expecting a $135 million signing bonus. This massive sum would cover the potentially increased transfer fee that Real Madrid would have had to pay if Mbappé had still been under contract this summer. The incentive will be split between Mbappé, his mother, and his agent, Fayza Lamari.
Finally, Mbappé insists on preserving a sizable portion of his image rights. While Real Madrid typically prefers to retain full ownership of its players, it is speculated that they may be ready to give 60% of these rights to placate Mbappé.
However, Mbappé may stay in Paris for another year. His contract has an extension clause, which may extend his lucrative deal until 2025. PSG promoted the contract, which was signed in May 2022, as a three-year deal, but Mbappé must activate the final season himself.
Despite being withdrawn from PSG’s roster after informing the club that he would not be using his extension clause, Mbappé returned for their second league encounter of the season. Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi described him as a “incredible player and fantastic person,” highlighting the team’s cohesiveness.
For the time being, Mbappé remains committed to PSG, with the goal of leading France to success at the European Championships in Germany, followed by a stint at the Paris Olympics. A transfer of this magnitude, however, is probably possible under the appropriate conditions. It will not, however, be free.
Liverpool.com says: Mbappé was always going to cost a fortune but those numbers are incredible when you see them written down. If they are true, he might even price himself out of a move to Real Madrid, let alone Liverpool. PSG has been able to keep him this long because of its financial advantages and the French side should not be ruled out of having Mbappé next season as well.
