Why Mbappe has NO intention of joining Real Madrid this summer

Stuart Telford

Updated: 24 Jun 2023 07:02 BST
4 min read

Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid, 2022/23 — © ProShots

Kylian Mbappe has once again been linked with a blockbuster move to Real Madrid, but there are 275 million reasons why he will stay at Paris Saint-Germain this summer…

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Mbappe publicly dismissed recent suggestions that he had informed PSG of his decision not to exercise the one-year option on his contract at the end of the coming campaign, but he has also refused to sign an extension, saying: "I will stay at PSG next season then I will only decide my future in 2024."

Paris are naturally keen to cash in on Mbappe now rather than lose him on a free transfer next summer, and the highest-valued player per FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm at €136 million could command a world record fee.

READ: Mbappe transfer ultimatum issued after betrayal

Madrid, and in particular head coach Carlo Ancelotti, are keen to sign Mbappe this summer, meanwhile. Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema has left for Al-Ittihad on a €100m a year contract, and although Joselu deserves credit for his late career surge, his loan signing from Espanyol doesn't inspire quite the same confidence.

Ready for more Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid drama in 2025? 🥱 pic.twitter.com/joPYx2MzMa

— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) May 23, 2022

Incredible sums of money

But even if PSG and Real would both benefit from a commitment now, the player himself could stand to lose up to €275m, per Marca's Carlos Carpio.

"[Staying at PSG] means collecting his annual net salary of €60 million, along with a loyalty bonus of €90 million agreed upon in May last year," he writes.

READ: Haaland's inner circle claim Mbappe to Real Madrid is done deal

"With a total of €150 million euros in his pocket, his plan involves committing to Real Madrid from 1 January [2024] onwards and negotiating a transfer bonus of around €100-125m as compensation for arriving at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on a free transfer."

Mbappe scored 41 goals in 43 games in all coemptions for PSG last season as well as hat-trick for France in their losing World Cup final to Lionel Messi's Argentina.

He looks like the natural heir to Messi and Cristiano Ronalo as a regular Ballon d'Or winner himself going forward, but his motivation this summer would appear to be obvious.