“I am very happy to stay in France, in Paris, in my city,” Mbappe told supporters on the Parc des Princes pitch before he marked his new deal with a hat-trick in PSG’s 5-0 win over Metz in their final Ligue 1 match of the season.
tanding next to PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Mbappe said: “I hope I’m going to be able to continue to do what I like most — winning football matches and trophies with all of you.”
Mbappe’s hat-trick on Saturday took his total of league goals for the season to 28.
His decision ends months of speculation surrounding arguably the hottest property in world football.
Real Madrid had pursued Mbappe for months and had reportedly agreed a deal with him months ago for a switch to Spain which would have included a signing-on fee of $AUD225 million (PGK559 million).
But according to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, Mbappe will receive a signing-on fee from PSG for a similar figure, with The Sun reporting that the French star will ultimately pocket an eye-watering $898 million (K2.231 billion).
Mbappe had made no secret of his desire to play one day for Real, who will face Liverpool in the Champions League final in Paris next weekend after securing a 35th Spanish title.
But PSG, who have won the Ligue 1 title for a record-equalling tenth time but angered their hardcore supporters with their limp exit to Real in the last 16 of the Champions League, have battled to hold on to their biggest asset.
The president of Spain’s La Liga, Javier Tebas, complained bitterly on Saturday that the massive financial resources of PSG’s Qatari owners had proved decisive in persuading Mbappe to stay in France.
“What PSG is doing by renewing Mbappe with large sums of money … after posting losses of 700 million euros in recent seasons and having a wage bill of over 600 million euros, is an INSULT to football,” Tebas tweeted.
La Liga announced in a statement it was launching an official complaint about PSG’s actions “to UEFA, the French administrative and fiscal authorities and the appropriate decision-making bodies of the European Union”.
“This type of agreement attacks the economic sustainability of European football, putting at risk hundreds of thousands of jobs and sporting integrity at risk - not only in European competitions, but also in domestic leagues,” the statement read.
“It is scandalous a club like PSG, which last season reported losses of more than €220m, after accumulating losses of more than €700m in prior seasons (while reporting sponsorship income at a doubtful valuation) with a cost of sports staff around €650m for this 2021-22 season, can face an agreement of these characteristics while those clubs that could accept the arrival of the player without seeing their wage bill compromised, are left without being able to sign him.”
In his tweet, Tebas also called Khelaifi “a danger to European football”. Mbappe will now line up next season alongside Neymar and probably Lionel Messi — if he stays at the club — to help PSG in their protracted quest to land the Champions League, the title that has so far eluded them.
Real Madrid fans were bemused after the widely-hyped move collapsed.
“Now I don’t want him to come to Real Madrid anymore. It’s not worth it,” David Pulido, a 42-year-old Real Madrid supporter, told AFP.
“Mbappe played on both fronts. First, he wanted to come to Madrid, and now for the money he stays at PSG. I have no interest in Mbappe anymore, I’m sorry. He’s a great player. I liked him at times, but not anymore.”
Mbappe joined PSG on a season-long loan from Monaco in August 2017 that turned into a permanent deal worth 180 million euros.
He has helped the club win four Ligue 1 titles in five seasons. In the Champions League exit to Real this season, Mbappe scored in both legs of the tie, but could not prevent PSG from losing 3-2 on aggregate.
He will be a key figure when France attempt to defend the World Cup in November and December.
The president of the Real Madrid supporters’ associations, Luis Caceres, told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope, that “Real Madrid have won 13 Champions Leagues without Mbappe. He will not be missed.”
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