Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-02-21 03:56:11
The Kylian Mbappe camp is comprised of experienced negotiators who have worked hard to secure deals for the star player, according to 90min.com. When Mbappe was just 14, his father Wilfried rejected an offer from Caen, comparing the club to trying to catch a shark with a fishing rod due to their inadequate offer. Additionally, Mbappe’s mother Fayza Lamari was unimpressed with Chelsea’s offer of a second trial for her son in 2011, warning the club that if they wanted to sign him, they needed to do so immediately or risk paying £50m for him in the future.
Real Madrid has been negotiating with a team of lawyers and advisers representing Mbappe’s parents, resulting in a resolution from the negotiations. Mbappe’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is set to expire this summer, meaning that no transfer fee is required for Real Madrid to sign him. However, there are still details to be worked out regarding his wages and signing-on bonus.
The ongoing contract negotiations between Mbappe and PSG have been a source of speculation since 2021. PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi had previously declared that Mbappe would stay with the club and not leave on a free transfer. Despite this, Mbappe opted to renew his contract with PSG, signing a two-year deal with an option for another year.
Mbappe’s new contract with PSG reportedly includes an annual gross wage of €72m (£62m), making him one of the highest-paid players in European football. He also reportedly negotiated a signing-on bonus of £86m, the largest in the history of the sport. Despite receiving a lucrative offer from Saudi club Al Hilal, Mbappe chose to remain at PSG and signed an agreement to protect the club financially in the event of his departure.
When Real Madrid made an offer to sign Mbappe 18 months ago, the proposed base salary was £22m, but the final agreement included a lower base salary with a portion of his image rights. The club has prioritized signing young talent in recent years, leading to a changing wage structure with veterans like Toni Kroos and Luka Modric among the highest earners.
Kroos is currently the highest earner at Real Madrid, followed by David Alaba and Luka Modric. Mbappe’s base salary of £250,000 per week is significantly lower than other high-earning players at the club, but he will receive an additional £25.6m from his signing-on bonus each year. This lower base rate is seen as a statement from Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who was eager to secure Mbappe’s signing despite his previous decision to stay at PSG.
Despite the negotiations with Mbappe’s formidable parental team, Perez was determined to ‘win’ the negotiations and secure Mbappe’s signing for Real Madrid. The complex nature of the negotiations and the financial and contractual details demonstrate the intricacies involved in securing a top player like Mbappe.
