The decision to stay at Paris Saint-Germain rather than join Real Madrid this summer sent shockwaves through the world of football, but Kylian Mbappe seems to be taking it in his stride, as he does with most things.
The French forward has started the season in fine form, scoring nine goals in the six matches that he has played for PSG. That two of the world’s richest clubs were willing to push the financial boundaries in order to sign him is no surprise.
Mbappe has recently told the New York Times that his decision was not based on money and much has been made by the intervention of French President Emmanuel Macron in the issue.
It would be hard to blame Mbappe if he did stay for money. The NYT also revealed his salary during that interview, as per Diario AS. Mbappe will pocket €251m over the course of his three year deal, working out as over €83m per year. In addition, Mbappe received a handsome signing on bonus of €125m, the highest bonus paid to a sportsperson ever.
With this latest contract, bearing in mind that Mbappe’s next deal will be up for discussion when he is due to come into his prime at 26, it is not inconceivable that Mbappe ends up becoming a billionaire purely through his club salaries over the course of his career.