Mbappe makes up mind on where he will play next season

The long-running transfer issue involving Kylian Mbappe may finally come to a close now that he has decided where he will play next season.

After his contract with PSG expires at season’s end, the French soccer sensation has already committed to joining Real Madrid.

Several news outlets have reported this, including ESPN and Le Parisien, both of which have used anonymous sources.

Over the last several years, rumors have circulated that Mbappe may be joining the Spanish powerhouses. However, he has stayed put in Paris.

The rumor mill now claims that the striker will make a statement next week. But ESPN says that he has not yet notified PSG or Real Madrid of his choice.

His current deal with PSG ends after the 2023-24 season. As a result, the 25-year-old has already stated his intention not to extend it. He will thus be free to leave Paris thereafter. He may now sign a pre-contract with any club he wants.

The following statement from Le Parisien’s Saturday story caused a social media frenzy. “France’s biggest star will join the world’s biggest club next season”, they said.

Reports indicate talks are underway to obtain what may be the most expensive deal for Les Bleus’ captain. But there is a noticeable sense of confidence in Madrid.

Salary cut to happen

However, he would have to accept a salary reduction to do this. The Spanish club is unwilling to completely revamp their compensation system to match his present net income of $27 million.

According to the Daily Mail, the Madrid side are prepared to pay him a massive signing-on fee of $108 million plus further incentives, while he would be making over $519,000 per week.

In their desperation to get a player they have pursued since 2017, Los Blancos are also ready to offer Mbappe a 60/40 share instead of their regular 50/50 split for image rights.

Obviously, the 2018 World Cup champion was expected to go to Spain last summer. However, he surprised everyone by signing a new contract with the Red-and-Blues instead.

To be frank, Mbappe has been teasing Real Madrid for a long time. At the tender age of 13, the club first made an approach to sign the forward. The word of his impressive skills had reached the Zinedine Zidane. So, the then sports director of Los Merengues was eager to scrutinize the potential of the youngster.

“My father received a call from someone at Real Madrid, inviting me to come to Spain for a training session over the holiday break. It was a shock because they actually told my father, ‘Zidane would like to see your son’.”, he told The Players’ Tribune in 2020.