While Kylian Mbappe appears to have turned down the chance of a phenomenal potential payday in Saudi Arabia, the France captain will still be one of the best-paid players of all time purely through his spell at Paris St-Germain.
Mega-rich PSG, who are owned by Qatar Sports Investments, agreed a £166 million ($213.3m) deal with Monaco in 2017 to sign Mbappe and handed him a wage and other payments to match the scale of the signing.
Mbappe also agreed a new contract with PSG in 2022 after many had expected him to join 14-time European champions Real Madrid.
Now reports say Mbappe is on the brink of pocketing another massive windfall from the reigning French champions. Here’s what we know.
Mbappe PSG loyalty bonus: How much will he earn?
The 24-year-old has until midnight on July 31 2023 to trigger an extension that would contract him to PSG for an extra year, until 2025.
Regardless of whether he agrees an unlikely last-gasp extension, Mbappe will be due a huge loyalty payment – 60 million euros ($66.1m / £51.3m) in instalments, according to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol.
Mbappe’s colossal loyalty payment, kicking in while he is missing the club’s Asia tour and edging towards his expected departure in less than a year’s time, is another curious development in the transfer saga.
Mbappe contract: What is his current salary?
Despite massive speculation that he would join Madrid, Mbappe performed a U-turn and decided to stay at the French club, signed that new two-year contract worth upwards of 250m euros (£214.7m / $275.9m) in salary alone. The terms included the one-year extension option.
According to reports upon the signing of his new contract, including from the New York Times and The Guardian, Mbappe’s new deal took him to a total of more than 75m euros ($82.8m / £64.4m) in after-tax salary. He also earned a €100 million ($110.4m / £85.9m) signing bonus just for agreeing to stay at the club.
Reports also suggested that Mbappe’s new contract handed him the power to make certain executive decisions at the club, although PSG and their player refuted those accounts. There is no doubt, however, that Mbappe is PSG’s best-paid and most powerful and influential player.
Madrid are the heavy favourites to sign Mbappe when he is allowed to enter contract negotiations with non-French clubs in January 2024.
Saudi Arabian clubs are much longer odds with bookmakers after Saudi Pro League team Al Hilal failed with a world-record £257m ($330.5m) bid for him in July.
Neds price Madrid at 1.67, any Saudi team at 11.00 and Liverpool at 15.00, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United the very long shots at 34.00.
Liverpool Mbappe move: Could the Reds sign the striker?
Mbappe spoke with Liverpool before first joining PSG and the Premier League club are now considered outsiders to sign their former target on a season-long loan.
The Reds will offer Mbappe a way out of what could be a miserable final season in Ligue 1 before his anticipated switch to Spain, according to the Mirror on July 29.
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“I talked to Liverpool because it’s the favourite club of my mum,” Mbappe told the Telegraph in 2022. “My mum loves Liverpool. I don’t know why – you will have to ask her. It’s a good club and we met them five years ago. When I was at Monaco, I met them. It’s a big club.”
Speaking this week, Klopp admitted the financial situations don’t work for the club.
“We laugh about it,” the Liverpool boss told Sky Germany, when asked about the Mbappe speculation.
“I can say that I think he’s a really good player, but the financial conditions don’t suit us at all.
“I wouldn’t like to ruin the story now, but as far as I know, there’s nothing to it. But it’s possible that someone else from the club is preparing something and wants to surprise me, but that hasn’t happened in the eight years that I’ve been here. That would be the first time.”
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has also held direct discussions with Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly over a move for Mbappe, the Daily Record has claimed.
Liverpool lost Brazil forward Roberto Firmino when his contract expired at the end of the 2022/23 season and finished outside of the Premier League top four, while no Chelsea player reached double figures in the top flight during a forgettable campaign at Stamford Bridge.