Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe is set to confirm his move to Real Madrid after claiming that a decision on his future will be announced "in a matter of days".
PSG star striker Mbappe has reportedly reached an agreement to join Real Madrid this summer – the Spanish giants have had a long-running interest in the Frenchman. Mbappe is out of contract at Paris Saint-Germain in June and he has recently hinted at a move to Real Madrid while a recent interview suggested that he is open to leaving France.
The French striker recently faced the Spanish giants in the Round of 16 of this season's Champions League as he netted a last-minute winner in the first-leg victory for Mauricio Pochettino's side. He also bagged in the return leg in Madrid, opening the scoring before a sensational Karim Benzema hat-trick ensured that PSG suffered more European heartache.
There have been suggestions that PSG are willing to make the 23-year-old their highest-earning player by offering him improved terms on Lionel Messi's and Neymar's respective contracts. Meanwhile, multiple reports have suggested that French president Emmanuel Macron has attempted to persuade Mbappe – with whom he has a friendship – to remain in Paris and reject the approach from the Spanish capital.
However, the attempts from French political leaders have been unsuccessful and Mbappe looks set to complete his move to Real Madrid as a free agent in what will represent a stunning move. Not only is the Frenchman arguably the most valuable player in the world, but he will complete the switch without a transfer fee.
As reported by Marca, the deal was completed last week – with Mbappe keeping his word and verbal agreement with the Spanish giants. There was an understanding between player and club that he would move to the Santiago Bernabeu, but there had not been any previous direct contact despite the fact that legally, this would have been fine since 1 January due to his contractual situation.
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Mbappe visited the Spanish capital last week and met with Madrid general director Jose Angel Sanchez, who cancelled other scheduled appointments with agents to meet with the striker on Monday and Tuesday. The agreement was then closed with the forward confirming his intentions of moving without a transfer fee.
The Frenchman is set to sign a five-year deal with Real Madrid that will make him one of the world's best-paid players, with the fees involved bolstered by the Spanish club not having to pay a transfer fee. Real Madrid saw a world record bid – in excess of £200million – rejected by Les Parisiens last summer, allowing them to make added financial commitment to wages, incentives and signing-on fees.
Mbappe said on Sunday night as he collected his third consecutive Ligue 1 player of the year award: "I will officially announce my decision on the future before I join the France national team in June. It's a matter of days then it will be official." He continued that his decision "will be known very soon, it's almost done. My decision is made, yes, almost."
It is set to end one of the longest running transfer sagas in which both Real Madrid and PSG played a high stakes game of poker with the French club's rejection of last summer's world record bid a bold attempt to call their bluff and commit the striker to extending his stay at the Parc des Princes. However, that gamble did not pay off and he is now set to confirm his move to La Liga.
