With Kylian Mbappe officially rejecting €700 million deal with Al-Hilal on 27th July, know more about how the drama unfolds – starting in Monaco during the 2016/2017 season.
First Interests
Starting July 2017, Real Madrid actively expressed their keen interest in Mbappe. The young French sensation, at only 17 years old, had taken the football world by storm with his exceptional performances for Monaco during the 2016/17 season.
Monaco boasted an impressive squad, featuring the likes of Joao Moutinho, Thomas Lemar, Bernardo Silva & Fabinho. Mbappe’s talent was on display as he netted 15 goals in Ligue 1 and six in the Champions League.
Mbappe’s contributions played a significant role in Monaco’s league triumph and their impressive run to the semi-finals of the esteemed European club competition.
Real Madrid was quick to take notice, and reports widely circulated that they had actively reached an agreement with Monaco to secure the promising forward. The deal was reportedly valued at over €160m.
While Real Madrid’s interest in Mbappe was undeniably strong, PSG recognized an opportunity to lure the young talent away from their grasp.
Remarkably, just three weeks after securing Neymar in a groundbreaking transfer, PSG swiftly made their move for Mbappe, and presented Monaco with a staggering €180m offer to acquire the services of the talented Frenchman.
To further entice him, PSG was willing to double the reported salary offer that Real Madrid had put on the table, which amounted to €7m.
Seizing the chance at the end of the 2017 summer transfer window, PSG secured the deal right from under Real Madrid’s nose. Initially, Mbappe joined on a loan agreement, but the deal included a buy-option that would allow PSG to keep Mbappe in his hometown until 2022.
Florentino Perez And The Promise Of Mbappe’s Arrival:
Unsurprisingly, Mbappe flourished into a superstar during his time at PSG, ultimately surpassing Edinson Cavani’s all-time scoring record. For a number of years, there was a sense of calm and stability surrounding Mbappe’s presence in Paris.
However, this situation began to shift in 2021, and Real Madrid, still holding a grudge from the events in 2017, sensed an opportunity.
They embarked on a renewed and determined pursuit of Mbappe, with club president Florentino Perez even assuring Real Madrid supporters that the Frenchman would join Los Blancos that summer.
Mbappe is Not For Sale.
“Mbappe is going to stay in Paris. We will never sell him and he will never leave on a free [transfer].”
Nasser Al-Khelaifi to L’Equipe
During the 2020/21 season’s closing stages, reports surfaced indicating that Mbappe planned to push for an exit from PSG. Real Madrid’s revived pursuit posed a threat to PSG, especially considering the player’s contract was set to expire the following summer.
Nonetheless, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi took a firm stand and, as the 2021 summer transfer window began, he asserted that Mbappe would not be leaving the club.
Real Madrid’s €160m Offer.
A summer saga unfolded, and Real Madrid decided to take action right up to the last moment. PSG made every effort to persuade Mbappe to stay in Paris.
In the final week of the transfer window, Real Madrid finally presented an offer reportedly valued at €160m.
Despite PSG’s unsuccessful attempts to engage Mbappe in negotiations, they rejected Real Madrid’s initial offer and disregarded the reported two follow-up offers as the deadline day approached.
As the 2021 summer window came to a close, Mbappe remained a PSG player, but his contract had entered its final year. The situation became increasingly pressing, and a resolution was inevitable.
Mbappe’s PSG Contract Extension.
Throughout 2021/22, Mbappe’s situation in Paris teetered on the edge, with PSG seemingly taking risks. There was a significant chance of losing the Frenchman for free the following summer.
However, as the season came to a close, PSG managed to reach a resolution by confirming that Mbappe had signed a new three-year extension with the club. The terms of the deal, however, differed from what was initially believed.
In reality, Mbappe had committed to a two-year contract, which included the option to extend for another year. Nonetheless, this new deal prevented another drawn-out saga from unfolding during the summer.
During this time, Real Madrid had achieved success, securing victory in La Liga and the Champions League, with Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema leading their impressive double. As a result, Mbappe was not seen as an immediate necessity for Real Madrid.
Real Madrid’s Apparent Cool Down.
Mbappe’s surprise decision to extend his contract left a sour taste in the mouths of those at Real Madrid. Reports in Spain at the end of 2022, following Mbappe’s impressive performance nearly guiding France to back-to-back World Cup triumphs, indicated that Real’s interest in the superstar had cooled down.
Moreover, Vinicius Jr’s remarkable growth into one of the world’s best players had diminished the immediate need for Mbappe’s arrival, and Perez’s ego undoubtedly suffered a blow due to his failed pursuits of the PSG man.
The Real president was not accustomed to facing setbacks in the transfer market, making it a challenging pill to swallow.
