Real Madrid have surprised absolutely no one and finally announced the long-awaited signing of French superstar Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe, 25, will join the newly-crowned European champions on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain next month, signing a five-year contract worth £12.8million per season which runs until June 2029. With an eye-watering signing-on fee worth between £103m-£128m set to be included, the forward’s deal is expected to go down as one of the most lucrative in football history.
A simple statement on the Real Madrid website read: “Real Madrid CF and Kylian Mbappe have reached an agreement whereby he will be a Real Madrid player for the next five seasons.”
Twelve months ago, Mbappe made his intentions clear by opting not to trigger a one-year extension clause in his contract with PSG, who in 2022 told supporters that the World Cup winner had committed his future for the next three years by snubbing an initial move to Madrid. Mbappe found himself sensationally put up for sale last summer after being left out of the club’s pre-season squad, but Madrid stuck to their plan of signing him on a free in 2024.
In football’s worst-kept secret, Los Blancos wanted to wait until their season was over before announcing Mbappe’s arrival. Carlo Ancelotti’s men went all the way in the Champions League, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley in the final on Saturday to earn their 15th European crown.
Madrid don’t expect Mbappe to be available for his presentation until mid-July due to France’s upcoming European Championship campaign. The 25-year-old will lead his country into a major tournament for the first time as captain, having been given the armband by manager Didier Deschamps last year.
Mbappe wears the No.10 shirt for France and wore No.7 for PSG, both of which are occupied by new team-mates Luka Modric and Vinicius Junior. He could therefore emulate Cristiano Ronaldo and wear No.9 in his first season at the Bernabeu, with the shirt being vacated by club legend Karim Benzema a year ago.
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