Kylian Mbappe Transfer Update: Real Madrid President Speaks Out, Will Mbappe Escape Past Jinx?

Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez, addresses the Kylian Mbappe transfer saga, shedding light on PSG's pressure to sell the star player due to financial concerns. Mbappe is not the first to experience this situation at the club.

By: Frank Merino

07/24/2023 06:55

Mbappe's Past Threats and Money Disputes with Several Stars

Paris Saint-Germain is determined to sell Kylian Mbappe at any cost, or rather, force him to accept being transferred out of the club. The 24-year-old forward could pocket 150 million euros in a "loyalty bonus" if he fulfills the remaining two years of his contract at Parc des Princes, and PSG now regrets agreeing to this clause, hence their desire to offload Mbappe to avoid paying the sum.

Mbappe's Past Threats and Money Disputes with Several Stars

Rabiot, Verratti, and Ben Arfa all faced intimidation and punishment from PSG if they intended to leave the club.

This is not the first time PSG has shown a lack of respect and tact towards their key players. Mbappe has both legal grounds and public support to resist the club's intentions, but before him, not everyone was fortunate enough.

Marco Verratti

In 2017, Verratti contemplated leaving PSG for Barcelona, hoping to pursue the Champions League alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar. However, PSG was angered by this intention and demanded that Verratti stay. They even threatened Verratti's representative that they would make life difficult for both if he didn't abandon his desire to leave Paris.

Ultimately, PSG transferred Neymar for 222 million euros. Verratti agreed to stay, but his representative was sacked at the club's request.

Hatem Ben Arfa

A year after Verratti's case, Ben Arfa parted ways with PSG after being asked by the club to be "isolated" from the first team. PSG even withheld his salary for the last 15 months of his time at the club. The media later revealed that PSG had negotiated a contract heavily focused on bonuses rather than fixed wages when signing Ben Arfa, so when they no longer wanted to pay, they decided not to let him play.

Ben Arfa was furious and sued PSG, demanding 8 million euros in compensation. The legal battle dragged on until March of this year when the Paris court finally ordered PSG to pay and was sentenced for harassing the workplace's employees.

Adrien Rabiot

Rabiot was known as a player who caused trouble off the pitch and had a mother who doubled as his agent and frequently clashed with the club. Therefore, in 2019, when PSG didn't field Rabiot much, many thought he might have done something again. In reality, Rabiot had decided not to renew with PSG and was approached by both Barcelona and Juventus.

PSG was furious and decided not to let Rabiot play. In response, Rabiot "liked" a photo posted by Patrice Evra on Instagram, celebrating Manchester United's victory against PSG in the Champions League. PSG punished Rabiot by suspending him from training for 6 days and withholding one week's wages. The French Professional Footballers' Union had to intervene to overturn the internal penalty, but Rabiot continued to be sidelined until joining Juventus.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez's telling response to Kylian Mbappe transfer saga

When questioned about Kylian Mbappe, Florentino Perez had different matters to attend to.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez remains composed amid the swirling rumors of immense pressure on his club to make a high-priced move for Kylian Mbappe.

Mbappe, 24, has been made available for transfer by Paris Saint-Germain and excluded from the pre-season tour squad after expressing his refusal to extend his contract. The French superstar's current deal is set to expire in June 2024, making him eligible for a free transfer next summer.

However, PSG, who paid a staggering €180 million (£155m) to sign him as a teenager five years ago, is convinced that Mbappe has already agreed to join Real Madrid in 12 months' time. In an attempt to recoup a significant fee this summer, the Parisians have listed the 24-year-old forward on the transfer market.

This puts pressure on Perez and his team to make a move, as they previously failed with lucrative bids to secure his signature in both 2021 and 2022. When asked about the prevailing speculation while on his way to cast a vote in Spain's election, the Los Blancos president calmly responded to La Sexta, "I am always calm."

With a hint of amusement, Perez added, "Today, we vote, we don't think of anything else, it's a very important subject for the Spaniards."

Mbappe has openly expressed his admiration for Real Madrid and appreciated Perez's efforts to bring him to the Spanish capital in the past. "I have lots of respect for [Perez] and for Real Madrid," stated the France international in May last year, after seemingly signing a new three-year contract with PSG until 2025, with the final year being an option.

"They wanted to do a lot to make me happy. So I thank them for that. I'd also like to thank Real fans. I hope they'll understand the fact I've chosen to stay [at PSG]."

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Written by: Frank Merino

Frank Merino is a writer for Betimate.com, providing non-stop analysis and opinions on all things football. Since 2018, I have started writing football analysis articles on the internet and predicting and recommending prestigious football bets for users around the world.