Mbappe treated like a ‘shepherd boy’
Spanish giants Real Madrid have made it clear that they are no longer willing to be fooled by Kylian Mbappe.
“Real Madrid have told Mbappe to sign a handwritten guarantee if he wants to leave the club,” Spanish media outlet Marca reported on Saturday (April 16).
“Real are pressuring Mbappe and his club to make a decision quickly,” said Marca, citing a report by Antoine Simoneu, a leading journalist for French outlet L’Equipe. “Mbappe has been told that a handwritten guarantee from the player himself is required if he is to receive a Real transfer offer.”
This is because Mbappe has repeatedly stabbed Real in the back in the past by expressing his desire to join the club, only to re-sign with his current club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
In particular, he refused to re-sign with PSG in 2022 and reached a verbal agreement with Real, but was persuaded by French President Emmanuel Macron to re-sign with PSG until the summer of 2024.
Real were furious and withdrew all offers for Mbappe. Real were left with the suspicion that Mbappe was using the club for a pay rise.
However, Real and Mbappe have been linked again. After the end of last season, Mbappe refused to extend his contract with PSG, which means that he could change clubs.
The Bosman Rule allows players to sign for their next destination without a transfer fee, especially if they are less than six months away from the end of their contract.
PSG refused to extend Mbappe’s contract last summer and threatened to demote him to the second team. Their relationship with Mbappe only worsened when they left him off the roster for their preseason tour of Japan. If Mbappe wanted to leave, he would have to do so in the summer, when his transfer fee would be due. Mbappe, on the other hand, has effectively said he wants to leave this summer without a transfer fee.
However, the club couldn’t afford to keep their biggest superstar on the sidelines for the entire season. With PSG in a slump, Mbappe was called back, and he reportedly waived a hefty bonus he was due from PSG. Mbappe earns an annual salary of €132 million, or about $190 million, at PSG.
However, Real have not given up on Mbappe.
In recent days, reports have suggested that Mbappe could be heading to Liverpool. “The Reds are keen on Mbappe,” said British publication The Times on Aug. 8, adding that the player’s expiring contract with PSG would not be enough to keep him away.
Amid the speculation of a move to Liverpool, Simoneu said: “Real have already given Mbappe a contract with salary and bonuses. “Florentino Pérez (Real president) has a history of signing superstars such as Luis Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane. This time, it’s just Mbappe,” he said, explaining that Real are not in a rush to sign him.
“Mbappe is expected to respond to Real’s transfer offer in March, during the UEFA Champions League round of 16,” said L’Equipe.