Kylian Mbappe will not earn less money at Real Madrid than at Paris Saint-Germain, despite reports that he was set to take a pay cut.
♦ Mbappe has joined Real Madrid
♦ Reports suggest he has taken pay cut
♦ Not actually the case
WHAT HAPPENED?
Mbappe was announced as a Real Madrid player earlier this week and, despite rumours suggesting that he had taken a pay cut to seal his dream move, it appears that is not quite the case. The World Cup winner, per Mundo Deportivo, was earning €72 million (£61m/$78m) gross at PSG, and will earn €26m (£22m/$28m) at Madrid, with €15m (£13m/$16m) of that being his net earnings. But that is not the full story.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Mundo have crunched the numbers and assuming that Real paid Mbappe a €125m (£106m/$135m) signing-on bonus – sources claim the number is between €100m (£85m/$108m) and €150m (£127m/$163m) – he would earn €25m (£21m/$27m) from the bonus per season alone. Add that to his €15m net salary and he receives €40m (£34m/£43m) per season, a similar figure to his net earnings at PSG.
DID YOU KNOW?
Real have also made a sacrifice in terms of image rights. When they sign a player, the star’s contract usually dictates that they will keep 50 percent of earnings from image rights and Real will keep the other half. That is not the case with Mbappe, as he will continue to earn between 70 and 80 percent from every contract he signs as a Real player.
WHAT NEXT?
Mbappe is preparing for Euro 2024, as France go in search of continental glory. They will play Austria, the Netherlands, and Poland in the group stages.