Paris Saint-Germain have not paid Kylian Mbappe his salary for the past two months in a fresh sign of tensions with the player — who is about to join Real Madrid.
People briefed on the situation, who — like all those cited here, did not want to be named to protect relationships — said the club was taking this position as they did not believe Mbappe would meet a previous commitment to “economically protect” the French champions over his free transfer exit. They said they were also withholding a bonus payment.
People who are familiar with the situation at PSG have previously described this commitment as an “agreement in principle” with Mbappe and his representatives that would “financially compensate” the club if he did leave for free on the expiry of his contract on June 30.
They said it was a “complex” arrangement that covered several scenarios — including the France captain waiving certain loyalty bonuses he might otherwise have been entitled to. Mbappe himself has also talked of “all parties being protected” when he leaves.
Discussions over this have been taking place since it was confirmed that Mbappe will join Champions League winners Madrid, but PSG’s decision to withhold his salary suggests little progress has been made.
Back in May, Mbappe confirmed his decision to leave PSG — where he scored 256 goals — saying he needed “a new challenge after seven years”.
In 2022, Madrid made an attempt to sign Mbappe as his previous contract with PSG approached its expiration. Instead, Mbappe opted to renew his contract at the club. This extension included a clause for a 12-month extension into the 2024-25 season, which could only be triggered by the France international himself, not PSG.
In February, Mbappe notified PSG that he would not activate the optional additional year in his contract. This decision meant he would depart the club as a free agent at the end of the season. Shortly after, the forward confirmed his choice to his PSG team-mates and head coach Luis Enrique — with Madrid announcing the move on June 3.
The next day, at a France press conference, Mbappe said he felt “happy, liberated and relieved” to have joined the Spanish club, after a season during which “things and people made me unhappy” at PSG.
He said: “I was told (that I won’t be playing for PSG), it was made clear to me, I was told through the media, it was told to my face. It was very clear. I was spoken to violently, I was told. So it was clear to me that I wasn’t going to play.
“Luis Enrique and Luis Campos saved me. Without them, I’d never have set foot on the pitch. That’s the strict truth, and that’s why I’ve always been so grateful to the coach and the sporting director.”
Mbappe is currently competing with France at the European Championship, where he suffered a broken nose in Monday’s 1-0 victory over Austria. He is expected to be presented as a Madrid player on July 16.
(Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)
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