Paris Saint-Germain has persuaded Killian Mbape to sign a new contract, one of the richest in football history, which will keep the French striker at the club for the next three years as he chases a second World Cup with France and tries to end the series. from the club’s failures in the Champions League.
His decision put an end to Real Madrid’s hopes of luring Mbape, perhaps the best young player in the world, to the most successful team in European football.
Real Madrid, a 13-time European champions, have offered Mbape a contract that would make the 23-year-old striker the highest paid player in his history. His offer included a signing bonus of nearly $ 140 million, a net salary of over $ 26 million each season, and full control of his image rights.
But PSG, the longtime French champions funded by gas-rich Qatar, prevented him from leaving as a free agent, offering even better terms. PSG offered a similar fee, but a far higher basic salary (also after taxes), keeping it in a team that already includes Argentine star Lionel Messi and Brazilian striker Neymar, who was acquired by PSG for a record $ 263 million in 2017. .
PSG is expected to announce Mbape’s decision to re-sign with the club on Saturday night. Mbape informed Real Madrid earlier on Saturday that he would not come.
The saga over Mbape’s future has engulfed France and was considered such a matter of national importance that French President Emmanuel Macron told a news conference last month that he would do everything possible to keep Mbape, considered a national treasure, in the country.
PSG’s success in persuading Mbape to stay is the latest sign that the dominance of world football, once in the hands of inherited clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United, has now shifted to several teams with deep pockets backed by The Persian Gulf. PSG’s confirmation that it has retained Mbape came just over a week after Manchester City, owned by the United Arab Emirates’ brother, confirmed it had acquired Erling Haaland, a prolific Norwegian goal scorer whose signature was considered by many. acquisition, just as sought after as Mbape’s.
But unlike Haaland, whose contract was to be won by Manchester City for an eight-figure transfer fee, Mbape’s expiring contract in Paris made him a free agent who could actually choose from the highest bidders for his incredible talents. The unusually short term of his new contract with PSG – three years – suggests that he can already plan his relocation and his next salary.
Against the backdrop of an economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic, few teams other than the richest elite have managed to make tent-type signatures that were once a staple of any off-season football. But Mbape did not hide his desire to move to Real Madrid from PSG and the Spanish authorities made every effort to attract him. His expiring contract in Paris also meant that he was a free agent, available without a multimillion-dollar transfer fee.
In addition to the nine-figure signing bonus and stunning annual salary – a huge offer even by Real Madrid standards – the club is also said to have offered Mbape full control over his image rights, a lucrative revenue stream that Real Madrid usually shares. with its list of stars.
But PSG and its Qatari owners have managed to offer an even better deal in a transfer soap opera that has dragged on for more than a year since Real Madrid first tried to get Mbape out of Paris with a record transfer offer.
Last summer, Real Madrid and its president Florentino Perez were so determined to make Mbape at the center of the club’s efforts to return to the top of domestic and European football that they pledged to pay more than $ 212 million for the striker, although he would will be available as a free agent again this summer.
For PSG, the preservation of Mbape is a welcome moment in a season that is played against the background of uncertainty after another failure in the Champions League. The club were eliminated early in the elimination stages – ironically by Real Madrid, which will face Liverpool for the final trophy next Saturday – although it had added several A-list talents in the pre-season, including Messi, who joined from Barcelona. on a rich own contract.
PSG’s strategy to attract the most exciting talent, whatever the cost, has mixed results. The team continued its dominance in the French league, the weakest of the five major European competitions, with another title this season, but its success on the continental stage continues to elude it, raising questions about the team’s endurance in the toughest matches.
It remains unclear whether anything more than a huge salary increase has convinced Mbape to stay in Paris. He was reportedly disappointed when PSG turned down Real Madrid’s offers last season, with PSG sporting director Leonardo saying at the time that Mbape wanted to leave.
Mbape has continued to thrive this season, leading the French league in goals (25) and assists (17). All the while, Real Madrid continued to court him, and by the end of this week, the Spanish club was convinced that it had finally managed to convince a player wanted by its president Florentino Perez. Media reports in Spain earlier this week even suggested that a deal had been made.
In recent days, however, that confidence has begun to evaporate as Mbape delays putting a pen to paper. Then, on Friday, Mbape’s mother, who was involved in the talks, said her son was weighing two offers. Real Madrid’s worst fears were confirmed on Saturday when Perez, in Belgrade, to follow Real Madrid’s basketball team to the European final, received word that Mbape had decided to stay at PSG.
For Mbape, the deal comes amid great efforts to build its brand away from the field. The striker spent months in talks with US-based talent agency Endeavor to create his own media company, which will be modeled on a business model built by basketball star LeBron James. This new company could raise Mbape’s profile and wealth to the same ranks as Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, superstars whose world star is now ahead of the sport they play.
As both Messi and Ronaldo are now in their 30s, players like Mbape and Haaland will look to dominate the biggest awards in football, including individual awards such as the Golden Ball awarded to the best player in the world and competitions such as Both PSG and Manchester City want the Champions League trophy, but neither of them has won.
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