It was like a title race or World Cup final in the end. Kylian Mbappe chose to stay in Paris Saint-Germain and now has the chance to build his own legacy, but also build the project around him.
He spoke of his belief in the project rather than the money on offer. There is a sentimental aspect to this, and the sporting project has changed as well. What was the most important moment in the negotiation? What is next for both teams?
Three people tell the story.
After months of talks, negotiations, mind-changing moments, twists, meetings, huge bids, uncertainties and doubts, Mbappe made his decision himself. On his own.
He consulted with his lawyer, Delphine Verheyden, and took phone calls from the French president, who asked him to stay in Paris. He received messages from some of the most powerful men in France.
His mother went to meet with the hierarchy of the club in the final days before he made his decision. The optimism in being able to extend the contract of Kylian Mbappe was reported back in January. In February, the forward told both clubs that he would do it his way and that he would have deadlines, timings and ways of deciding. He was happy with both of the final offers, but neither club knew what the outcome would be.
Real Madrid have tried to sign the France star multiple times over the past 12 years. The French club needed him to stay. The biggest star in the world was playing for them while the World Cup was being hosted in the 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 He decided to stay in Paris even though both clubs believed he would join the other side. It was not an easy call, but he thought it was the right one.
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How will the deal work? He is the highest-paid player in the world. According to sources, he received a three-year contract with a salary of 57 million net per season and various bonuses that could be worth 300 million over the three years. The most important thing is not financial.
The club gave him the keys. He will have a say in the choice of the sporting director, manager and players on the squad. The path has been cleared so that he can be the face of the project.
There is so much for him to achieve at the Parc des Princes: to beat Edinson Cavani's record as the club's all-time top scorer, to win the first European trophy of his career, and to be the club's all-time top scorer. The new chapter starts now.
Kylian Mbappe turned down a move to Real Madrid to stay at Paris Saint-Germain.
It didn't take long for the effect of the extension on the club to be felt.
The sporting director was fired by Paris Saint-Germain just a few hours after the official announcement of the forward's extension. The name Luis Campos was put forward by Mbappe to replace him.
The pair worked together in Monaco, where the young genius was protected. He joined the club's youth set-up and worked his way up to the first team. The Portuguese is considered to be the best talent-spotter and recruiter in European football because they were very close then.
After three years as director of football in Monaco and three more at Lille, he is set to arrive in the French capital after a brief stint as an advisor to Celta Vigo.
According to sources, if Kylian Mbappe had decided to go to Real Madrid, he would have joined Real Madrid, instead of going to Paris.
The Ligue 1 champion desperately need money to come in, and one of the first things that Campos will do is to remake the squad. He will have to recruit well, though the decision of Mbappe to stay could affect some players. Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who is being pursued by Real Madrid and other teams, is considering the Parisians offer more seriously than he was before. Ousmane Dembele is out of contract in Barcelona this summer, and the possibility of him joining his friend, Kylian Mbappe, in Paris is very interesting. The chance to form something special with his France teammates closer to home is what Paul Pogba is considering.
The current squad is not balanced enough given their inability to get it done in Europe, but does that mean that he wants to get rid of him? The Brazilian is under a lot of pressure. They have not been satisfied by his performances this season or his lifestyle. He signed a new contract last May that made it difficult to leave.
The manager has a question. According to sources, it is increasingly likely that Mauricio Pochettino will be fired as Paris Saint-Germain look to start a new chapter with someone else. The list is long and varied, with more candidates to be added. The former Real Madrid manager is still the preferred choice, but he will be hard to convince after this battle with his own club over Mbappe.
Ruben Amorim is one of the main candidates. The young manager of Lisbon's Sporting Club de Portugal won the league last season and did well in the European competition. Luis Campos wants him in Paris, but he has a 30 million euro release clause in Portugal.
The new few days will be crucial, but as part of his new deal, Mbappe will be a big part of the decision-making process.
Real Madrid reacted negatively to reports that Kylian Mbappe will stay at Paris Saint-Germain.
Real Madrid was supposed to have a new sporting project. The entire transfer strategy has been dictated by his pursuit in previous years. The frugality of Madrid gave them the funds to make bids worth up to 200m, which they used to pay for Eduardo Camavinga.
Sources say that the club made an unprecedented offer to Mbappe this year. The club was ready to pay him around 130m as a signing bonus, plus a significant salary, but Madrid wouldn't give him input at the executive level.
pic.twitter.com/m00Sii3A6l
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) May 22, 2022
It looks like a strategic error to build an entire strategy on the belief that Mbappe would keep his word and resist the pressure. Erling Haaland, the only comparable signing in terms of age, profile and projection, is also beyond their reach at Manchester City. Madrid was interested in Haaland, but they always preferred Mbappe. Had the club known how the Mbappe saga would end, the Norway international would have been pursued more aggressively.
Real Madrid don't know how they're going to react to the rejection of Mbappe. Nobody doubts that they will respond. Vinicius Junior's progression means a left-sided forward would not ordinarily be a priority, but headline-grabbing action will be needed to mitigate some of the damage, because missing out on Mbappe is arguably more of a blow in terms of image and prestige than in footballing terms
The club can look to land another elite player, even if they don't match Mbappe's star power, or divide the money that had been allocated to the deal between a handful of relatively smaller signings to strengthen multiple areas. Madrid would benefit from the money that would be spent on Mbappe if he were to join the club. It could be a chance to save face against a team that is interested in the young player.
A string of names will be linked as alternatives. Could Madrid reignite their interest in Barcelona target Robert Lewandowski? How about the out-of-contract Dembele? Or is it Mohamed Salah? Is it Harry Kane? The club was focused on landing Mbappe, so those names are speculative. Madrid will be able to plan for life without him once the final of the European Championship is out of the way.
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