Kylian Mbappé, the 26-year-old French national team striker, is now at Real Madrid following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain. However, not everything is settled yet between the player and the club where he spent seven years. The French international is in financial conflict with Paris over unpaid bonuses and wages, while PSG believes an agreement has been reached. Recently, his lawyers announced an offensive with several legal proceedings, and PSG responded. This Tuesday, RMC Sport provides new information with an excerpt from the book by Apolline Bouchery and her journalist Fabrice Hawkins, “From Hell to Paradise: The Secrets of the Two Seasons That Changed the History of PSG,” published by Flammarion. It refers to a letter from lawyer Delphine Verheyden that led to meetings and an agreement, but everything is not entirely clear.
“Here is what Delphine Verheyden explains about this agreement:”
“On August 11, 2023, Kylian Mbappé’s lawyer, Delphine Verheyden, sent a letter to PSG General Secretary Victoriano Melero (appointed CEO in October 2024) on behalf of her client.
Here is what Delphine Verheyden explains about this agreement:
“My client makes the following proposal:
– Reduce the bonuses to be paid to him during the 2023/2024 season by $55 million gross (corresponding to the $30 million loyalty bonus linked to the first two years of the contract and $25 million signing bonus), representing a saving of more than $68 million in the club’s accounts;
– Transfer the payment of this same amount to the 2024/2025 season if he were still on the roster at that date.
This offer is conditional on the following cumulative elements:
– That he be reinstated in the squad for the match on August 12, 2023, and remain in the squad for the entire season;
– That this amendment be signed no later than Monday, August 14, at 12:00 p.m. After this date, the offer will be void;
– The drafting of a joint press release stating the end of the dispute, the unconditional reinstatement in the squad, and the steps my client has taken to resolve this dispute. Finally, and this is crucial for him, Kylian Mbappé insists that I reiterate to you that what matters most to him is playing football and winning as many titles as possible with his team.
“No contract is signed bilaterally between the club and the player.”
No contract is signed bilaterally between the club and the player. According to the terms initially formulated by Kylian Mbappé’s lawyer in her letter of August 11th, this could have been done until the 14th (if Mbappé had been selected for the match, which was a condition). But that wasn’t the case. And that’s important. Because it turns out that both sides emerged satisfied with this meeting. What followed will prove that the two… didn’t understand the same thing from these discussions.”
We suspect that the elements are accurate; otherwise, they wouldn’t be presented like this in the book. Ultimately, we understand above all that the negotiations between PSG and Mbappé’s entourage were tense, with the lack of a written agreement that was ultimately signed to establish everything. And perhaps certain that everyone agreed on every point before the reinstatement.
In any case, there is clearly a gap, since the dispute is still ongoing and the outcome very uncertain. PSG may regret not having received a written copy of the agreement reached at the final meeting. In any case, we’d like to finally move on. From a sporting perspective, it was done very well. Now it’s time to completely turn the page with the end of this dispute.
This also applies to Mbappé, who has embarked on his second season at Real Madrid with the need to forget the failures of his Parisian adventure. His exit, including one marked by tension and rumors, was also a factor.
