Real Madrid have surprised absolutely no one and finally announced the long-awaited signing of French superstar Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe, 25, will join the newly-crowned European champions on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain next month, signing a five-year contract worth £12.8million per season which runs until June 2029. With an eye-watering signing-on fee worth between £103m-£128m set to be included, the forward's deal is expected to go down as one of the most lucrative in football history.
A simple statement on the Real Madrid website read: "Real Madrid CF and Kylian Mbappe have reached an agreement whereby he will be a Real Madrid player for the next five seasons."
Mbappe tweeted: "A dream come true, So happy and proud to join the club of my dream, Real Madrid. Nobody can understand how excited I am right now. Can’t wait to see you, Madridistas, and thanks for your unbelievable support. ¡Hala Madrid!"
Twelve months ago, Mbappe made his intentions clear by opting not to trigger a one-year extension clause in his contract with PSG, who in 2022 told supporters that the World Cup winner had committed his future for the next three years by snubbing an initial move to Madrid. Mbappe found himself sensationally put up for sale last summer after being left out of the club's pre-season squad, but Madrid stuck to their plan of signing him on a free in 2024.
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In football's worst-kept secret, Los Blancos wanted to wait until their season was over before announcing Mbappe's arrival. Carlo Ancelotti's men went all the way in the Champions League, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley in the final on Saturday to earn their 15th European crown.
Madrid don't expect Mbappe to be available for his presentation until mid-July due to France's upcoming European Championship campaign. The 25-year-old will lead his country into a major tournament for the first time as captain, having been given the armband by manager Didier Deschamps last year.
Mbappe wears the No.10 shirt for France and wore No.7 for PSG, both of which are occupied by new team-mates Luka Modric and Vinicius Junior. He could therefore emulate Cristiano Ronaldo and wear No.9 in his first season at the Bernabeu, with the shirt being vacated by club legend Karim Benzema a year ago.
Your turn! Has Kylian Mbappe made the right decision? Join the debate in the comments section
Kylian Mbappe's arrival at Real Madrid has been no secret (Alberto Gardin/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)Paris-born Mbappe joined PSG from Monaco in 2017 for a staggering £166m, a fee which would've been enough to break the world record had the Ligue 1 giants not signed Neymar from Barcelona two weeks prior. Mbappe went on to score 235 goals in just 264 appearances, winning 15 trophies but failing to get his hands on the Champions League. Who better to join than Madrid, then?
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