Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Kylian Mbappe has debunked the theory that he rejected Real Madrid due to financial reasons, claiming that he would get paid enough at every club.
Mbappe was close to joining European giants Real Madrid earlier this summer but ultimately decided against it, choosing to stay put in the French capital. The Frenchman extended signed a three-year extension with the Parisians, becoming one of the world’s highest-paid players in the process.
According to Marca (via the Mirror), Mbappe is currently earning a whopping €50 million per annum. He also supposedly received €180 million for remaining with the French champions and got 100% control of his image rights.
In an interview with the New York Times, Mbappe opened up about the allegations that he rejected Real Madrid only for monetary purposes. Rubbishing the claims, the 2018 World Cup winner insisted that he was good enough to get paid at any club he wanted to join. The PSG no. 7 said (via Madrid Xtra):
“PSG over Real Madrid because of money? No, because wherever I go, I’m gonna get money. I’m this type of player.”
Mbappe, who joined PSG from AS Monaco in 2017, has thus far featured in 222 games for Les Parisiens across competitions, scoring 178 goals and claiming 88 assists.
Kylian Mbappe could leave PSG for Real Madrid in the future
Kylian Mbappe may have chosen to remain with the French outfit for the time being. However, it would not be surprising to see him eventually join the club from the Spanish capital in the future.
When Karim Benzema (34) retires or leaves the Whites, they will need a capable center-forward to take the mantle from him. Mbappe could then emerge as the perfect successor to the five-time Champions League-winning Frenchman.
After his transfer to Madrid collapsed, Mbappe claimed that his dream of playing for Madrid was still very much alive, stating that he didn’t know what the future had in store. When journalist Guillem Balague asked him (in May 2022) whether or not his dream was over, Mbappe said (via FanNation Futbol):
“Never over. Never over. The only thing is that now I have signed for three years more. You never know what can happen in the future.”
PSG, however, are unlikely to let their superstar leave for cheap, meaning Madrid might have to splurge a world-record fee to finally bring the superstar to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.