Paris Saint Germain have refused to pay Kylian Mbappe about €80 million he is owed in salaries and bonuses.
Mbappe was confirmed as Real Madrid’s latest “Galactico” on Monday, June 3, 2024, ending years of speculation surrounding the future of the Frenchman.
Kylian Mbappe has penned a five-year deal with Los Blancos, which runs until the summer of 2029.
The 25-year-old appeared set to join Real Madrid in 2022 before he sensationally reversed his decision and penned a new deal with the French giants until 2024.
The deal also included the option of an additional year that only the attacker could activate if he wanted to.
However, Mbappe made his stance known in the summer of 2023, that he would not be activating a one-year extension, before announcing that he would be departing PSG at the end of the 2023/24 campaign on a free transfer.
Reports indicated that Kylian Mbappe’s decision incensed the Paris Saint Germain hierarchy, particularly president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
Meanwhile, according to L’Equipe, the loss of their most priced asset for nothing has resulted in the French side refusing to part with monetary obligations owed to the footballer.
It is believed that the withholding of large payments by the Parisians is for Al-Khelaifi not to “lose face in this matter”.
Paris Saint Germain Refused To Pay Kylian Mbappe His Salary In April And May 2024
L’Equipe also reported that Paris Saint Germain refused to pay Mbappe his salary in April and May 2024 alongside his bonus in February 2024.
This has enabled the Paris-based club to recover about £70m – the amount promised to Kylian Mbappe as a loyalty bonus when he penned his contract extension in 2022.
How Was Kylian Mbappe Allowed To Return To The Paris Saint Germain Squad Last Summer Despite The Dispute?
French media outlet RMC Sport also indicated in November 2023 that Mbappe, who was ostracized from Paris Saint Germain’s squad last summer after he told the club of his decision not to trigger his one-year extension, was only allowed to return if he agreed to let go of bonuses that he was owed.
The report claimed that PSG had initially insisted the only way he could rejoin Luis Enrique’s side was if he penned a new deal, something the forward objected to.
The 25-year-old was subsequently excluded from the club’s pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea.
Mbappe was also forced to train with a group that became known as the “undesirables” – players who Paris Saint Germain were trying to get rid of.
Kylian Mbappe was then reinstated after being absent from their opening game of the Ligue 1 season against Lorient.
The recent report of L’Equipe has backed up those claims but states that the disagreement was only partially settled.
Mbappe saw his game time reduce drastically after he informed president Nasser Al-Khelaifi of his decision to leave the Parc Des Princes side at the end of the season.
According to reports, Kylian Mbappe was paid a loyalty bonus in February 2023 before seeing other monies owed to him withheld by the French side.
L’Equipe report also made it known that following the decision not to pay Mbappe for his services in April and May 2024, the France national team captain will likely be owed his June salary.
Definitely, this issue is expected to result in legal squabble should both parties fail to reach an agreement.
Kylian Mbappe and France
Kylian Mbappe is currently focused on the France national team squad, as they prepare for the 2024 European Championship slated to go down in Germany from June 14, 2024, to July 14, 2024.
Les Blues are one of the favorites for the Euros and Mbappe will be hoping he can help the European nation clinch the title.
Kylian Mbappe in a presser on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, addressed the news of his move to Real Madrid, saying:
“It’s a huge pleasure, a dream come true. I’m very happy, liberated, and relieved and very proud to go to this big club – the best in the world.”
The Frenchman also touched on when he was sent to train with the reserves following his refusal to extend his contract at Paris Saint Germain.
He said: “They made me understand that I wouldn’t play for PSG, [and] at the club they told me violently to my face.
“Without [head coach] Luis Enrique and [Football Advisor] Luis Campos I wouldn’t have set foot on the pitch. They saved me. That’s the truth.”
Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe is Paris Saint Germain’s all-time top scorer and arguably the club’s greatest player ever.
The former AS Monaco man made 308 appearances for the Parisians, scoring 256 goals and providing 108 assists in all competitions.
He joined the French capital side on a permanent deal from AS Monaco on July 1, 2018, for a fee of €180 million, having initially joined the club on loan on August 31, 2017.
Cumulatively, Mbappe has made 368 club career appearances thus far, scoring 283 goals and providing 124 assists in all competitions.
Internationally, Kylian Mbappe has made 77 appearances for France, scoring 46 goals and providing 31 assists across all competitions.
The attacker was an important member of the French 2018 FIFA World Cup winning squad, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup team that ended as runners-up after losing on penalties to Argentina.
