How Kylian Mbappe’s dream move to Real Madrid was ended by salary demands, Perez’s worries… and Gareth Bale
A catalogue of issues snubbed the 18-year-old's move to the Spanish giants, resulting in a season-long switch to PSG
Sponsored by
KYLIAN MBAPPE was central to a summer-long transfer saga with an array of teams indicating interest in the teenage prodigy.
A dream move to Real Madrid fell through for several reasons, resulting in the Frenchman signing a season-long loan deal with PSG.
The French giants have secured the teenage hotshot for the current campaign, with an option to make the deal permanent for £165.7m
At one stage during the summer, a move for the former Monaco ace to Real Madrid appeared imminent as club officials flew to Los Angeles to complete the all-but done deal.
President Florentino Perez and director general Jose Angel Sanchez committed to paying the youngster £6.43m-per-year on six-year deal.
The two clubs had agreed on a price and the French giants were happy to sell to Los Blancos, who are not viewed as a key rival.
Madrid soon found out that PSG were also able to fork out the 180m fee and could offer the 18-year-old £12.9m per season.
The requested salary ruffled a few feathers within the Madrid camp. If the club were to match PSG's figure, Mbappe would receive double the wage taken home by Luka Modric, Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos.
He would also would have received more per-week than Madrid star Sergio Ramos.
The 18-year-old's father emphasised the importance of a whopping salary within the deal, so he swayed his son towards a move to Unai Emery's side.
However, money was not the only underlying factor within the deal. Mbappe was set on securing first-team football at his new club - which is another service which PSG could provide, that Madrid could not.
Madrid chief Zinedine Zidane had hinted a move away from the Bernabeu for Gareth Bale, which have created an Mbappe shaped void in Madrid's frontline.
Manchester United indicated their interest in the Wales international, but an official deal never materialised.
However, the move grew tiresome and a number of club's retracted their interest in the teenager.
President Perez never trusted the Qatari owners of the Ligue 1 outfit because of their enormous economic potential.
