Kylian Mbappe: Real Madrid sign France forward on free transfer after Paris Saint-Germain contract expiry – Sky Sports
Football
Kylian Mbappe cost Paris Saint-Germain £166m in 2018 but leaves on a free transfer after his contract expired; France captain signs five-year contact at Real Madrid worth £12.8m a year after tax; the 25-year-old will receive a signing-on bonus of just over £85m from Real
Tuesday 4 June 2024 07:46, UK
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Real Madrid have announced the signing of Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer after the France captain left Paris Saint-Germain.
The 25-year-old, who is PSG’s record goalscorer with 256 goals in 308 appearances, has signed a five-year contract at the Bernabeu worth €15m (£12.8m) a year after tax.
He will receive a signing-on bonus of just over £85m from Real, who will pay the fee in instalments over the duration of his contract.
The 2018 World Cup winner joins just two days after Carlo Ancelotti’s side won their 15th Champions League title to clinch the double, having also been crowned LaLiga champions.
A one-line statement from the European champions announcing Mbappe’s arrival said: “Real Madrid CF and Kylian Mbappe have reached an agreement whereby he will be a Real Madrid player for the next five seasons.”
Mbappe then posted on social media with pictures of himself as a kid wearing a Real Madrid kit to express his joy at the move.
He said: “A dream come true. So happy and proud to join the club of my dreams, Real Madrid.
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“Nobody can understand how excited I am right now. Can’t wait to see you, Madridistas, and thanks for your unbelievable support. Hala Madrid!”
The Spanish giants have been long-term admirers of Mbappe and tried to sign him in 2022, but the forward committed to a new two-year deal at the Parc des Princes.
But Mbappe refused to activate a one-year extension in his PSG contract which allowed him to move for nothing this summer, just six years after costing the French club £166m from Monaco.
Mbappe’s departure, which he announced last month, has freed up at least €220m (£187.5m) of gross cost to PSG.
Spanish football journalist Semra Hunter:
“There’s a bit of a collective sigh of relief that finally it’s over. They are finally coming together and hopefully it will be a harmonious union between Mbappe and Real Madrid.
“This saga has rumbled on for so long now that every single summer it was all about: ‘Here we go again, is this finally the summer he is going to come?’
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“Everybody knew it was inevitable that Mbappe was coming to Real Madrid. It was just a matter of when.
“Real Madrid have been trying for so many years, it even began when he was 11 years old when he went to the club for a trial with the U12s side. He decided not to stay because his parents felt he was better off staying in France to grow and develop.
“In 2017, that was the real first time they came in for him when he was at Monaco. It didn’t work out as PSG came in and hijacked the deal. It’s been on and off again for the last seven years. It really is happening this time.
“But there is also a little bit of apprehension about this deal because it was such a big blow in 2022, when Real really thought he was coming, but he decided to snub them and stay in Paris.
“It left a lot of Madridistas very broken-hearted, disappointed and angry – even people at the club as well.”
French football journalist Jonathan Johnson speaking to Sky Sports News:
“I don’t think it gets much better for Real Madrid at this moment in time. LaLiga champions, Champions League winners for a record 15th time and now just a casual Monday flex of being able to announce the signing of Kylian Mbappe. A really big few days for the Spanish giants.
“It’s quite a terrifying prospect for the rest of Europe and clubs who want to challenge the supremacy of Los Blancos. Certainly from a French point of view, it was coming for some time. There had to be a conclusion to this saga, it had dragged on when people thought it couldn’t drag on any more.
“There was disappointment at PSG initially when Mbappe revealed he wanted to move to Real Madrid. But at the same time, there is a recognition that it was the best thing for the player, potentially for the club and even the league as well. Ligue 1 can step out of Mbappe’s shadow and strike out on its own. We will see what the next couple of years have in store.
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“Mbappe, generally speaking, leaves France with doing as much as he could do in the club game. Not just at PSG, it was at Monaco where he burst onto the scene and enjoyed a good Champions League run with them. What he’s achieved for himself, at PSG, the records he’s broken, it’s difficult for anyone to live up to. There are people who see him going and give him their blessing, as well as those who are disappointed with how it ended, especially the PSG leadership.
“In terms of the name, this is up there in terms of impact alongside Zinedine Zidane, who won the Ballon d’Or before joining Real. Mbappe hasn’t done that so he’s going there to win that. While this is a free transfer, in terms of there being no direct transfer fee, there is a big financial aspect of what he will be paid. It has the potential to pay off for Real Madrid, there is plenty for him to sink his teeth into. It’s the place to be in club football right now.
“It’s very impressive what they have done this season, especially with the injuries they’ve had – Courtois, Militao, Alaba. To have those guys coming back to the squad, it will be like new signings. Arda Guler was out for a large chunk of the campaign. Then there’s Endrick on top of Mbappe, that’s six new signings.
“There is the tearful farewell of Toni Kroos, but Luka Modric is staying on so it keeps the technical brilliance and the experience in midfield. But it is frightening that Real Madrid’s dominance over the last five to ten years might not be ending. It might be warming up with the arrival of Mbappe.”
Spanish football journalist Semra Hunter:
“Ultimately it will depend on what Carlo Ancelotti wants to do from a tactical point of view.
“Yes, there is a pecking order of sorts but of course you are going to go with the best players that you have available.
“Let’s work under the premise that Ancelotti is going to stick with a 4-4-2 next season, with Jude Bellingham at the top of the midfield diamond, though really Bellingham can do whatever he wants on the pitch.
“That means Vinicius and Mbappe can start in a two-pronged attack, like what Vinicius and Rodrygo have been doing this season.
“Vinicius has really made the left-hand side his. That is his best position. Rodrygo is more tactically flexible – he can play on the right, left or as a No 10.
“So there are lots of options. He could play 4-3-3, with Mbappe in the middle and Vinicius and Rodrygo on the wings. But that means he would have to sacrifice a midfielder and they are so stacked in that area. I don’t see that happening too often.”
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