On Monday evening, soccer star Kylian Mbappe signed with Real Madrid, ending the worst kept secret in soccer.
“Real Madrid CF and Kylian Mbappé have reached an agreement whereby he will be a Real Madrid player for the next five seasons,” posted the club on its site.
According to ESPN, the French soccer star, one of the best in the game today, signed a five-year contract that will pay him €15 million ($16.2m) a year after taxes. He will also receive a €150m signing on fee, which will be spread over his deal.
There was speculation about where Mbappe would land, but Real Madrid was always mentioned as the frontrunner. This announcement ends both the rumors and a long-running frustration for Madrid, which tried to sign previously sign Mbappe, 25, in 2017 and 2022.
In early May, Mbappe announced he would depart from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the end of the season, ending his seven-year run with the club.
“I’ve always said that I would speak with you when the time comes. I wanted to announce to you all that it’s my last year at Paris Saint-Germain,” said Mbappe in a social media post. “I will not extend (my contract), and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks. I will play my last game at Parc des Princes.”
During his tenure with PSG, he scored 255 goals in 306 games and also won the 2018 World Cup as a member of the French team. This season, helped PSG secure its sixth Ligue 1 title but the team lost in the Champions League semifinals.
This news comes at a perfect time for Madrid and its followers. They just recently won a UCL championship, which is the club’s 15th title, the most for any team. In the last ten years, they have won ten UCL championships. Adding Mbappe gives fans another reason to expect a 16th title next season.
Mbappe expressed his happiness about the move to Real Madrid on X/Twitter.
“A dream come true, so happy and proud to join the club of my dream. Nobody can understand how excited I am right now.”
With Mbappe in Spain, the club now has an even bigger target on its back.
