Kylian Mbappe has finally ended the most drawn-out transfer saga of the century by reportedly putting pen to paper on a contract.
Speculation over the French striker’s future has been rife over the past few years, with Real Madrid and Liverpool long linked with a move for the 25-year-old.
The World Cup winner turned down the chance to join Los Blancos in 2021, instead deciding to sign a lucrative contract extension with Paris St Germain, and rejected the opportunity to move to the Saudi Pro League last summer after Al-Hilal made a €300m transfer bid.
That contract expires this summer, meaning Mbappe can join a new club on a free transfer, although PSG have been trying to convince the forward to sign another extension to keep him in the French capital.
However, it now looks as if Mbappe will finally leave Paris this year, with Marca claiming he ‘signed an agreement two weeks ago’ to join Real Madrid.
Mbappe will reportedly take a pay cut as part of the move so as not to ‘blow up’ Real’s wage structure, although he will retain a higher percentage of image rights than is usually the case. In every deal the club makes they take half of the player’s image rights, a condition that was reportedly an issue for him in negotiations two years ago.
It is said that Mbappe will earn between €15m and €20m per annum plus bonuses when he moves to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, making him the highest-paid player at the club.
It has also emerged that one of Mbappe’s representatives met with Manchester City last week to discuss a possible transfer to the Premier League champions, according to Cadena Ser.
Arsenal also threw their hat in the ring, with Mikel Arteta last week saying: “When there is a player of that calibre we always have to be in the conversation, but it looks a different way.”
Mbappe made his breakthrough in 2016/17 with Monaco before moving to PSG for a world record transfer fee of €180m.
