How PSG convinced Mbappe to sign new contract and snub Real Madrid transfer

Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Frenchman has committed to a fresh three-year deal at Parc des Princes, rejecting a switch to the Santiago Bernabeu in the process

Mbappe's previous contract was due to expire on June 30 and it was widely reported that Madrid already had an agreement in place to sign the striker on a free transfer.

A final deal never came to fruition, however, with Mbappe ultimately deciding to pen fresh terms with PSG that will keep him at Parc des Princes for another three years.

GOAL can confirm that PSG have made Mbappe their highest-paid player after tying him to a new deal, with the 23-year-old now on a more lucrative salary than the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Mbappe is also set to receive a signing bonus of over €100 million (£85m/$106m) and club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has promised him there will be wholesale changes at both boardroom and squad level.

Sporting director Leonardo is among those set to exit the club, with Luis Campos in line to replace the Brazilian after successful spells in the same role at Monaco and Lille.

Mbappe has been assured of an improved sporting project at PSG this time around, which will no longer include an obsession with acquiring star names - as was the case last summer when Messi, Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Archraf Hakimi all arrived at Parc des Princes.

What role did the French President play in Mbappe's contract?
Mbappe's final decision was also influenced by French President Emmanuel Macron, who had spoken to the forward over the telephone several times over the last few months.

Macron argued that Mbappe would be better off staying put because he is seen as an icon in Paris and could be front and centre when the Olympic Games are staged in the city in 2024.

He also reminded the PSG star of his status as a role model for the next generation as he urged him to weigh up the benefits of continuing his career in his homeland.

Mbappe's love for the club was also a key factor as he has a burning ambition to become their greatest-ever player and break Edinson Cavani's all-time scoring record, which he is now only 30 behind on 170 goals.


PUKmedia/GOAL