Forward Kylian Mbappe will earn a base salary of only $16.4 million per season at Real Madrid, a 93% reduction from the $215 million he made at PSG.
According to the BBC, Mbappe has completed all contract formalities to join Real Madrid starting in the summer of 2024, with a five-year term. He will receive $16.4 million annually after taxes, matching the salaries of other stars like Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior. This figure is surprising, as when he renewed his contract with PSG in the summer of 2022, Mbappe earned up to $215 million per year, not including an $87 million “loyalty fee.”
Forward Kylian Mbappe clapped to thank PSG fans after a 1-1 draw with Dortmund at Westfalen Stadium in the final match of Group F in the Champions League on December 13, 2023. Photo: AFP
Mbappe’s main income at Real Madrid will not come from his base salary. As he is joining the team on a free transfer, Mbappe will receive a signing bonus of $164 million, paid out over five years. Free agents typically receive higher signing bonuses because the new club does not have to pay a transfer fee to the former club.
Additionally, Mbappe will earn performance-based bonuses at Real Madrid and a percentage of his image rights revenue. These bonuses are also substantial.
However, even when combining the signing bonus, salary, bonuses, and image rights, Mbappe’s total income at Real Madrid will still be significantly lower than what President Florentino Perez offered him in the summer of 2022, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. At that time, Real was prepared to offer Mbappe a contract even larger than PSG’s, amounting to several hundred million dollars. Nonetheless, the PSG captain decided to stay, surprising Perez.
Mbappe personally called Perez to inform him of his decision to stay at PSG, expressing regret but asking for Perez’s understanding and patience, as he was certain he would join Real in the future. Subsequently, Mbappe extended his contract with PSG for another two years, with an option to add one more year at his discretion.
In the summer of 2023, Mbappe announced he would leave PSG in the summer of 2024, refusing the extension option. Facing the prospect of sitting out the entire past season, Mbappe agreed to waive the $87 million loyalty fee with PSG. The French club eventually paid him this amount but deducted the equivalent from his salary and bonuses, prompting the French star to threaten legal action.
Due to Mbappe’s previous reversal with Real two years prior, this time Perez insisted that the French captain accept the contract offered by the reigning Champions League champions without negotiation. Mbappe agreed, fulfilling his dream of playing for the Royal Club.
Real Madrid will announce Mbappe’s signing this week, allowing him time to prepare for Euro 2024. After the Euros, the 26-year-old forward will begin a new chapter in his career at Europe’s most successful club.