After several summers of rumors and speculation, it is now official, Mbappé will leave the Paris Saint Germain discipline. After seven seasons in the Parisian team, Kylian has decided to embark on a new path, and despite Al Khelaïfi's attempts, he will leave France as a free player.
With this news already confirmed, Mbappé becomes the most coveted player of the moment, although it seems that there will not be an auction and all roads seem to indicate that they will take him to the Bernabéu. After several summers of wishes, disappointments, and frustrated signings, it seems that Kylian's dream is closer to being fulfilled, and neither Qatar nor the money will prevent his signing for Real Madrid from being consummated.
If confirmed, the best footballer in the world would unite his destiny with the most successful club in history, in a memorable synergy between two million-dollar brands. Today, in Memorias del Fútbol, we review the story of a soap opera that seems endless, but that after seven years of media exhaustion, it can become the most desired and longest signing in history.
A Madrid Child
The history of Kylian Mbappé Lottin it begins on December 20, 1998, in Bondy, in the suburbs of Paris. Faiza and Wilfred's son started playing soccer very early, and since he was a child, he dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player. His favorite club was Real Madrid, especially because it was the club where his idols had played Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo.
After training at the famous academy Clairefontaine, Mbappé caught the attention of the great teams in Europe, and, on his 14th birthday, he fulfilled his dream of visiting the white sports city to meet his idols. Zidane himself took him to the training camp, where he shared practices with the cadet team.
Mbappé amazed the coaches with his speed and scoring ability, but although Madrid wanted to sign him, the family preferred that the boy finish his training in their country. Eventually, Kylian joined the academy AS Monaco in 2013, where he began his training until he became a star.
The Emergence of Mbappé (2015-2017)
Mbappé debuted for Monaco in Ligue 1 on December 2, 2015, going down in history as the youngest player to wear the Principality club shirt. At 16 years and 347 days he broke the record of Thierry Henry and, just two months later, he scored his first goal to once again position himself as the earliest footballer to celebrate a goal with the Monegasque shirt.
After signing his first professional contract, he began the following season as a substitute, although it didn't take long for him to earn his position through great goals. In a very short time, he scored his first hat-trick as a professional and, shortly after, scored his first goal in the Champions League. Monaco lost that match 5-3 against Manchester City, although everything would change in the second leg. Mbappé opened the scoring at the Luis II Stadium, and the Monegasques ended up winning 3-1 to overcome the tie.
In that Champions League, Monaco also eliminated Borussia Dortmund in the quarterfinals and reached the semifinals with Kylian as the protagonist. The 17-year-old forward scored another 3 goals in that tie and his emergence into the football elite was so frenetic that he finished the season scoring 26 goals (15 in the league and 6 in the Champions League). That Monaco of Falcao, Lemar, or Bernardo Silva, he managed to snatch the League from PSG but could not prevent the sale of his most precious player.
Signing for PSG (2017)
All the great teams in the world wanted to sign Kylian Mbappé, who, despite the interest of the European aristocracy, preferred to remain one more year in the team that had formed him. The signing of Neymar for PSG opened the possibility of signing for Barça, but the Barça board ended up betting on signing Dembélé. Real Madrid was willing to make an effort for him, but with competition from the BBC (Bale, Benzema and Cristiano) and the appearance of Paris Saint Germain, Kylian ended up opting to stay in France to play in his city of birth.
Monaco had to sell, and Mbappé signed a 5-season contract for PSG in exchange for 180 million euros transfer. The Parisians matched the white offer, and Kylian became the second most expensive signing in history after the Neymar (222). The French striker formed a fearsome trident together with the Brazilian and Edinson Cavani, although his triumphs were only limited to the local level. PSG won the League Cup, the French Cup and Ligue 1, but were eliminated in the Champions League in the round of 16.
The draw paired them with Real Madrid, who, after winning 2 consecutive ears he crossed paths with the French on his way to the Thirteenth. Mbappé visited the Bernabéu for the first time, and Madrid overcame a goal from Rabiot to win 3-1 and solve the tie at the Parc des Princes.
World Star (2018)
After that disappointment, Mbappé went to the World Cup 2018 as one of France's promises and returned from Russia as a true legend. His marvelous performance against Argentina and his 4 goals in the tournament were key for the Gauls to lift their second World Cup, placing Kylian as one of the best players on the planet.
Mbappé continued scoring goals and winning titles with PSG, but despite his striker's displays, the Champions League became an inaccessible trophy for him. In the pandemic season, they managed to reach their only final, but Coman's goal ended up giving Bayern Munich the victory in Lisbon. In the rest of the editions, the competitiveness of the Parisians left much to be desired, starring in unexpected eliminations that were very difficult to assimilate.
Frustrated Transfer (2021)
At the end of the 20-21 season, the player raises his voice, demands more stripes, and requests a winning project. His contract with PSG ended in 2022, and his renewal began to take a long time. Real Madrid remained attentive and, in the month of August, entered the scene to sign him. While Messi arrived in Paris, the white team made public an offer of 160 million euros for Mbappé. The player was hopeful of leaving, but the days passed, and Madrid did not receive a response. Florentino Pérez increased the offer to 200 kilos, but when everything seemed to indicate that the transfer was inevitable, PSG was inflexible in frustrating the footballer's departure. Mbappé could not hide his disappointment, but he had no choice but to stay at PSG during his last year of contract.
Champions Confrontation
The 21-22 season begins with tensions between PSG fans and the player, who receives some boos at the Parc des Princes. Mbappé was free to sign for another team in January, but an inopportune replay of the Champions League draw causes the least desired confrontation. Real Madrid and Paris Saint Germain would face each other in a morbid round of 16 tie.
PSG 1 Real Madrid 0 (02-15-2022)
Rumors and logic suggested that the player would sign a pre-contract with the white team, but given the proximity of the confrontation and pressure from Qatar, the decision about his future is delayed over time. On February 15, the first leg is played, and Mbappé shows his desire to please against what could be his team. The Parisian striker becomes a nightmare for Madrid defenders and ends up giving his team the victory with a great goal in injury time.
Real Madrid 3 PSG 1 (03-5-2022)
On March 9, Mbappé returns to the Santiago Bernabéu to the applause of some white fans and is once again the best player on his team. After half an hour, he scored a goal disallowed for offside, and shortly after, he punished the whites with another great goal after a quick counterattack.
The start of the second half continued to show French superiority, and Mbappé scored another anthology goal that only the referee could prevent. The goal was disallowed for offside, and Madrid managed to stay alive in the tie. PSG had half a classification in their pocket, but Ancelotti's changes and a mistake by Donnaruma awakened Benzema's scoring instinct. The Madrid "9" scored three goals in less than a quarter hour, and the Bernabéu entered a state of inexplicable excitement. With the final 3-1, the whites went through a tie that seemed impossible, and PSG once again failed in its millionaire dream of winning the Champions League.
An Unexpected Renovation
After that painful elimination, Mbappé's future seemed closer to Spain, and all the information indicated that he already had a closed agreement with the whites. The French media did not rule out a renewal, and the State of Qatar launched its entire monetary machinery to convince the footballer. The calls from Macron (president of the French Republic) and the pressure from the Qataris ended up having an effect, and the "Mbappé Case" took an unexpected turn in just ten days.
Kylian renewed with Paris Saint Germain until 2025, and he jumped to the Parc des Princes to receive the affection of his fans. PSG made Mbappé the highest-paid footballer in history and, with a salary of 47 million euros annually and million-dollar loyalty bonuses, promised him a project tailored to his needs. The dismissal of Leonardo and the appointment of Luis Campos was done to please the footballer, although the promised reinforcements never reached the squad.
A Contract with a Trick
The presence of Messi and Neymar prevented the club from renewing the team, and, as the weeks went by, Mbappé realized that he had made a mistake. Some sources indicate that the footballer contacted Real Madrid to apologize and show his regret, in addition to revealing decisive information for his future. In reality, his new contract ended in 2024 since he signed for years, plus another optional one. This revelation placed the player back on the market since the summer of 2023 was presented as the last possibility for PSG to withdraw money for a future transfer.
World Cup Exhibition
Mbappé started the season 22-23 with his sights set on him Qatar World Cup, and he became one of the players in the tournament. His goals led the French team to the World Cup final, where he starred in the greatest display of a footballer in a World Cup final. The penalty shootout against Argentina took away his glory, but Mbappé made history by scoring a hat-trick and becoming the player who has scored the most goals in the World Cup finals with four goals.
Transfer or Renewal (2023)
After that demonstration of power, Mbappé once again had a gray year collectively. PSG was only able to win the French League, and Kylian's 41 goals were hardly of any use. His fatigue with the situation becomes public on July 3, 2023, and the "Mbappé Case" exploded again after a letter was leaked in which the player informed the club that he was not going to renew his contract. Al Khelaifi takes the document as disrespectful and publicly conveys an ultimatum: either renew or it will be transferred that same summer.
At the insistence of the fans, Florentino Pérez suggests that he will sign Mbappé in 2024, and PSG offers the player a period of ten days to resolve the situation. Despite pressure, Kylian rejects up to three renewal proposals, and four days after returning to training, the club announces that he will not travel to the Japanese tour with the rest of his teammates.
Goodbye to PSG (2024)
PSG separated the footballer by putting him in the so-called "undesirable" group, but a few weeks later, they ended up reinstating him in the first team. Mbappé and Al Khelaifi seemed to make peace and reportedly reached a gentlemen's agreement whereby the player would give up one of his loyalty bonuses in order to leave free in the summer of 2024.
Kylian rejoined the team, completing a formidable start to the season, until Radio Montecarlo broke the news of the year on February 15. The Monegasque media confirmed the definitive departure of the Parque de los Príncipes forward.
After seven seasons and almost 250 goals scored for PSG, Mbappé has decided to change the course of his sporting career. After several summers of disappointments, betrayals, and hopes, it seems that this year, yes Mbappé and Real Madrid will sign the signing of the century.
What do you think Mbappé's performance will be if he signs for Real Madrid? Do you think he will establish himself as one of the best players in history?