Kylian Mbappe plans to join Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain this summer and is willing to take a pay cut for the transfer.

Kylian Mbappe’s transfer saga has been a major talking point in the football world, with the young star set to make a move to Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain. The impending transfer has been dubbed as “the most expensive free transfer in history,” as Mbappe will reportedly take a pay cut to join Real Madrid. The 25-year-old French international has already communicated his desire to leave PSG at the end of the current season, marking the end of his successful stint with the club.

Real Madrid’s longstanding interest in Mbappe is well-known, and the club is reportedly willing to make him their highest-paid player, albeit at a lower salary than his current £171m per year at PSG. While the terms of Mbappe’s contract with Real Madrid are still being negotiated, the transfer is expected to come to fruition on July 1.

This transfer saga has seen its fair share of twists and turns, with PSG rejecting a substantial offer of £188m (€220m) for Mbappe from Real Madrid in August 2021, leading Mbappe to sign a new three-year deal with the Ligue 1 club. Moreover, his potential move to Real Madrid seemed imminent in May 2022 until he surprised everyone by signing a new two-year contract with PSG, prompting a complaint from LaLiga to UEFA regarding alleged Financial Fair Play (FFP) rule breaches.

Despite these developments, Mbappe’s relationship with PSG took a turn for the worse after he informed the club that he would not be extending his contract through to the summer of 2025, thus allowing him to become a free agent in 2024. This led to Mbappe being excluded from the club’s pre-season tour after declining a transfer to Saudi club Al Hilal for a world-record fee of £259m. However, just before the new season commenced, there was a surprising reversal as Mbappe was reinstated in the PSG squad.

Throughout his tenure at PSG, Kylian Mbappe has been a prolific goalscorer and creator, boasting an impressive record of 244 goals and 93 assists in 291 games. His performances have been instrumental in PSG’s success, contributing to the club’s achievement of five Ligue 1 titles. As the football world eagerly anticipates Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid, the transfer saga continues to captivate fans and pundits alike.