The idea of getting Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappé for free this summer is tempting for many top European clubs. But the real cost will become clear when his wages and bonuses are added up.
Liverpool, along with other clubs, is allegedly interested in Mbappé (via Le Parisien and others), but Real Madrid is believed to be the favorite. The French star has an offer on the table from PSG as well, but hasn’t signed it.
Mbappé hasn’t made a public decision about his future yet. He’s previously said he won’t agree to trigger the extension in his current contract, which upset PSG bosses last summer.
But PSG seems more relaxed now because Mbappé won’t be receiving the bonus payments — thought to be tens of millions — that he would theoretically have been entitled to after staying put in the previous transfer window. Caught Offside claims he has waived the first installment, and has agreed to write it all off if he moves on at the end of his deal.
As he’ll soon be a free agent and can talk to overseas clubs and sign pre-contract agreements, he’s expected to ask for big wages and signing-on fees. The Telegraph says Mbappé wants an annual salary of $82m (£65m/€75m) — a whopping $1.6m (£1.25m/€1.4m) a week. Only a few clubs could afford that, and even Madrid might have to sell several players to make it work.
This would likely count Liverpool out, as Mbappé’s wages are almost four times higher than Mohamed Salah’s pay. Everyone knows that the Reds haven’t been able to dig deep into their pockets like some Premier League rivals.
If any Premier League club made such a pricey move for Mbappé, they’d risk breaking Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, unless they sell off other big-name players. On Monday, Mbappé’s team said in a statement: “There is no agreement around Kylian’s future, especially since there are no discussions started about it. No type of influence could dictate the timing of Kylian’s discussions, reflections or decision.”
PSG President Nasser Al Khelaifi said this week: “I want Kylian Mbappé to stay at PSG. He’s the best player in the world and the best club for him is PSG. He’s key for our project.”
