Kylian Mbappe: The Man with the Bank Breaker Price Tag

Kylian Mbappe’s future had become the 2022/23 summer’s headline transfer saga having refused to sign a contract extension at Paris St-Germain and leaving the French champions to contemplate cashing in on their record goal scorer to avoid losing him for nothing next summer.

Mbappe, joined PSG in 2017, initially on loan from Monaco before making a 180m euro (£166m) move, and has banged in 212 goals from 260 games.

But despite plenty of domestic success and the creation of a strike force that includes three of the world’s biggest stars namely Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi, the Qatari-owned club have failed to achieve their ultimate goal— winning the Champions League.

Mbappe has a contract with PSG till June 2024, but last month it was revealed he had told the club he will stay this season but will not extend his deal afterwards. This outcome has become bitter, with PSG leaving him out of their pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea.

So, how did we get here?

Step forward Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.

PSG striker Kylian Mbappe is the subject of a world record £259m bid by Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal who shocked the footballing world this summer with an eye-watering world record bid of £259m for the World Cup winner.

But what happens now? Could Mbappe actually swap Champions League football for the Saudi Pro League? Should he head to Saudi, what could be his wages at Al-Hilal?

If Mbappe moved to Saudi, he would likely become the highest paid player in football, eclipsing the the reported £177m-a-year-earned by Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr after his move from Manchester United last December.

It has been reported that Mbappe could earn close to 700m euros (£602m) a year with commercial arrangements and image rights on top of his salary.

French football journalist Lisa Leroux believes the £259m offer proves Mbappe “really is a once in a generation player” but that “he won’t go, for him it’s more than just about the money.

No player has ever been offered this salary in football, and I think even in sporting history for one year, Leroux said. The salary that he would be getting would just be historic and out of this world.

It would be about 59m euros a month, almost 2m euros a day.”

Back in 2017, PSG set the current world transfer record when they activated Neymar’s release clause at FC Barcelona, paying an eye-watering €222 million ($246 million). Mbappe’s move to PSG in the same year had to be managed through a loan due to Financial Fair Play restrictions, as the club had already expended an enormous fee to hire Neymar’s services.

The following year, Mbappe arrived PSG permanently from Monaco for a total arrangement of €145 million ($160 million), with an additional €35 million ($39 million) in add-ons, making him the most expensive teenager in football history.

So, If not Saudi then where?

Real Madrid are long-term admirers of the French captain and he was close to a move to Spain before signing his latest PSG deal.

It is widely speculated in football that Mbappe will eventually go to Madrid but there is currently a stand-off between the two clubs from long-held tensions around the player and other issues. PSG are adamant Madrid must pay what they want. But Bernabeu president Florentino Perez does not want to pay PSG a penny for Mbappe.

Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Inter Milan and Barcelona have also expressed an interest.

PSG were open to the idea of Mbappe leaving on loan this summer to see out the final year of his contract elsewhere. This could have allowed him join Real for nothing in 12 months’ time, keep playing this season and generate a loan fee for PSG.

It is widely speculated in football that Mbappe will eventually go to Madrid but there is currently a stand-off between the two clubs from long-held tensions around the player and other issues. PSG are adamant Madrid must pay what they want. But Bernabeu president Florentino Perez does not want to pay PSG a penny for Mbappe.

Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Inter Milan and Barcelona have also expressed an interest.

PSG were open to the idea of Mbappe leaving on loan this summer to see out the final year of his contract elsewhere. This could have allowed him join Real for nothing in 12 months’ time, keep playing this season and generate a loan fee for PSG.

Kylian Mbappe PSG- Source: Getty images

It was speculated that Al-Hilal were prepared to up an offer for Mbappe at an astounding €700 million ($776 million) for a single season, after which he would be free to join Real Madrid. This extraordinary sum would amount to a staggering €1 billion ($1.1 billion) in total, surpassing Lionel Messi’s previous record for the highest-paid sports contract, Forbes reported citing CBS Sports’ James Benge.

In the end, where will Mbappe likely end up?

Will the PSG striker move to Saudi Arabia or Real Madrid? Only time and money can tell

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