There is no doubt that Real Madrid was the main protagonist of the last summer transfer market. After being crowned Champions League winners against Borussia Dortmund, Florentino Pérez made a splash in the market by signing Kylian Mbappé as a free agent. The forward decided not to renew with Paris Saint-Germain and join the white project, consolidating Real Madrid as one of the most important teams in the European elite.
Certainly, at first glance, the operation seemed like a great deal: Madrid acquired one of the best players in the world without paying a transfer fee. To this, it must be added that they offered him a contract lower than the one he had in Paris. However, over the months, details have emerged that nuance the story: the signing bonus Mbappé received is worth millions.
A Lot of Money on the Table
Real Madrid presented its financial statement as of December 31, 2024, reflecting an apparently solid financial situation, but revealing unexpected figures about Mbappé's arrival. The French footballer's signing bonus has made his arrival at the white club one of the most expensive in soccer history. Although Real Madrid didn't pay anything to Paris Saint-Germain, they did shell out an enormous amount of money to convince the forward.
According to the published documents, in the section of "payments for investments in intangible sports assets" there are 117.5 million euros. An amount that goes entirely to the player's accounts and, based on recent information, he has already received 78M of that amount. In that sense, if Madrid had had to negotiate with PSG, the figure could have exceeded the 222M that the Parisian club paid for Neymar back in the day.
Fully Adapted to Real Madrid
Beyond the financial outlay made by Florentino Pérez to see Mbappé in the white jersey, the French player is already starting to perform at Santiago Bernabéu. The first months of the Portuguese forward at Real Madrid were of adaptation, but over time he has regained the lethal version he showed at Paris Saint-Germain. His latest goal against Rayo Vallecano reaffirms his growth as a Madrid player and begins to justify the investment made for him.
Now, Mbappé is focused on achieving all his goals with Real Madrid. However, he faces Hansi Flick's Barça, with whom he doesn't have a positive record and has seen his chances frustrated to lift certain important titles.