What is the 'Messi clause' in Mbappe's Real Madrid contract?

Tom Weber
Tom Weber
  • Updated: 30 Jun 2023 06:20 BST
  • 3 min read
PSG's MNM front three: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar
© ProShots

Kylian Mbappe is asking for a share of commercial revenues to be included in his next contract, according to Spanish media.

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The French megastar's future remains up in the air. He caused a massive stir when it was leaked to the media that he had informed Paris Saint-Germain that he won't trigger his option to extend his deal for another year, meaning that he will be a free agent next summer.

Rumours about a potential Real Madrid move flared up again in light of this, with PSG desperate to cash in on the 24-year-old, having spent €135 million on him in 2018 and a hefty salary ever since. Indeed, his current contract with the French giants reportedly sees him pocket €72 million gross per year and, crucially, a €170 million loyalty bonus if he remains with the club until next year.

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The latter point explains why he took to Twitter to publicly rubbish rumours of a summer move, stating that he will play for PSG next season. He knows he wouldn't get such a good deal if he were to move now, and he is already trying to compensate for that with his next contract.

Kylian Mbappe
© ProShots - Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe wants Messi clause

According to Diario, Mbappe is keen to get a similar deal to what Lionel Messi is set to get at Inter Miami. With the MLS side unable to match Al-Hilal's massive offer that would have seen Messi earn more than €1 billion over two years, they instead pooled together resources from various sources.

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Messi will receive a percentage of revenues generated by MLS's gear sponsor Adidas as well as the league's main broadcaster Apple TV. Something like this was first seen when Michael Jordan signed with Nike in the 1980s and Mbappe wants a piece of the cake too.

Diario, moreover, claims that Mbappe wants to keep a share of his image rights should he sign for Real Madrid. Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo made the same demands when they signed for Los Blancos.

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