Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid has been one of the most talked about transfer saga in recent times. The French superstar has been chased by the Spanish club since 2014. In 2023, there are still strong links between Mbappe and Real Madrid, which calls for a complete breakdown of the timeline of the transfer saga.
Madrid was very involved in signing Mbappe at the age of 14. Real Madrid was beaten by Monaco as the French superstar joined the academy of the French club on a three-year contract. The breakout season at Monaco came in 2016-17 when the French sensation scored 26 goals from 44 matches.
Kylian Mbappe joined PSG ahead of Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe joined PSG from Monaco ahead of Real Madrid for $193 million. The Paris club signed on loan with an option to buy that would keep the teenager at the club till 2022. PSG also offered double the salary as compared to Real Madrid to snatch away the French superstar.
In April 2021, Florentino Perez first announced his intent to sign the French sensation. He told the supporters of the Spanish club to remain calm and assured the signing so that Madrid does not lose its rightful place at the top.
Pushback from PSG
In the summer of 2021, speculation grew that Mbappe would force his move out of the club. Real Madrid was back in the race again due to Mbappe’s contract, which was set to expire in 2022. Amidst the speculation, PSG’s President, Nasser Al-Khelaifi boldly stated the intent of the French club that their prize possession isn’t for sale and he will never leave on a free transfer.
💣 “Cuando me dicen que FICHE a MBAPPÉ yo CONTESTO: “TRANQUILO…” 💣
😳 ¡OJO a FLORENTINO PÉREZ en EXCLUSIVA con @jpedrerol! #ChiringuitoFlorentino pic.twitter.com/0LzM7FdEi9
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) April 19, 2021
The summer of 2021 was the first summer when Real Madrid and PSG went head-to-head for Mbappe. Real Madrid reportedly offered around $171 million for the forward. They later improved the bid to $182 million. There were even some reports that Real Madrid was willing to break the transfer record of Neymar Jr. to land the superstar but PSG did not back down and vowed to keep their superstar.
Twist in the tale by Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe entered the last year of his PSG contract in the 2021/22 season. The whole season revolved around the transfer saga as each week, Mbappe moved closer to being a free agent and moving on for free. However, in a remarkable twist, in May 2022, the French forward decided to renew with PSG for two years with an option for a further third if both parties mutually agree.
The extension was a minor setback for Real Madrid, who enjoyed another UCL triumph in 2021/22 with Carlo Ancelotti. The Frenchman went down the pecking order in the priority list for Real Madrid after the UCL win. Years rolled on and by the end of 2022, the interest of Real Madrid was off from Mbappe.
Downward spiral between PSG and Kylian Mbappe
The relationship between Kylian Mbappe and PSG needed to deteriorate to make way for Real Madrid. The breakthrough came when Mbappe was disappointed when the club used his image in a promotional video that was sent to the season ticket holder. Mbappe voiced his disapproval on Instagram on the issue to raise some eyebrows.
The relationship had already started to break due to the lack of UCL success as well as the failure to sign certain key players that Mbappe wanted at the club, these targets were Aurelien Tchouameni and Robert Lewandowski. The relationship pressure opened up a crack when in June 2023, Mbappe told PSG that he would not renew with the club for a third optional year, allowing him to walk free in 2024.
🚨| Kylian Mbappé has informed PSG that he will not extend his contract by 1 year, meaning his contract will run out next summer pic.twitter.com/z9WfA6J8J2
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) June 13, 2023
The announcement rang alarm bells in Paris, as they immediately considered selling the French superstar in the summer market to balance the books for FFP reasons. During the summer, Mbappe rejected various bids from the club, including a billion-dollar package from Saudi Arabia.
The summer was unfruitful for PSG as they failed to sell their superstar and later reinstated him in the squad ahead of the new season. Kylian’s mother weighed in her opinion as her son’s agent about the whole saga by stating that Kylian should make up his mind as Real Madrid won’t wait for him.
Real Madrid moved from the French superstar
Kylian’s mother/agent’s prediction came true as Real Madrid took the first by releasing an official statement on the club’s website stating that they have not agreed with any deal with Kylian Mbappe. This statement was a way for the Spanish club to clear the air regarding all the media speculation linking Mbappe to Real Madrid in his last season with PSG.
Many argued that this was the first step of Madrid moving away from the forward. The second and most probably the final step came recently when multiple Spanish reports pointed out that Real Madrid has decided to move on from Mbappe marking an end to the pursuit.
🚨💣 BREAKING: Real Madrid have decided they will NOT sign Kylian Mbappé next summer. It’s OVER. @carrusel #rmalive pic.twitter.com/oEKqzc9XQf
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) November 8, 2023
The recent reports are taken with a pinch of salt in France as they believe that the Spanish club will be back for the French superstar when the next summer rolls around.
In the summer of 2024, Mbappe will be a free agent again, if he does not commit to another deal with PSG. If history is to be believed, Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappe saga is far from over. This latest development can be taken as another form of minor roadblock in the pursuit of the French superstar by the Spanish club.