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With Mbappé's contract with the French giants expiring at the end of the season, the 23-year-old's next destination had been uncertain for months: would he decide to stay at PSG or move to Real Madrid, the club he fell in love with as a child?
However, after months of speculation, Mbappé revealed that he would continue playing for the Parisian club, signing a three-year contract extension until 2025.
“I need to announce that I have chosen to extend my contract with Paris Saint-Germain and, naturally, I am very happy,” said Mbappé. “I am convinced that here I can continue to grow with a number of partners who offer everything necessary to operate at the highest level. I am also very happy to continue playing in France, the country where I was born, the place where I grew up and the place where I made my name.”.
“I would like to thank President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi for his trust, his knowledge, and his resilience. I would also like to thank all the Paris Saint-Germain fans, both in France and around the world, for their guidance, especially in recent months. Collectively, side by side and formidable, we will work magic in Paris.”
one of a kind
Mbappé had a historically rapid rise in professional football.
Having been placed in AS Monaco's first team group as a youth player, he made his first-team debut at 16 years and 347 days old. In doing so, he became Monaco's youngest ever player, breaking the record set by the excellent Frenchman Thierry Henry.
Mbappé broke another of Henry's records a few months later, scoring his first goal and becoming the team's youngest goalscorer.
Throughout his first full season, Mbappé became a key member of a Monaco team that defeated PSG to win the Ligue 1 title and also reached the Champions League semi-finals. He scored 26 goals in 44 games.
He transformed himself into an excellent player that season, which caught the attention of Les Parisiens, who moved instantly to sign the 18-year-old Mbappé.
Mbappé celebrates after France's victory in the 2018 World Cup.
Mbappé, who was born in Paris, originally moved to PSG on a 12-month personal loan before signing a permanent contract.
None of the members disclosed the financial figures involved in the transfer, but a price tag of US$214 million was widely reported, which would have made Mbappé the second most expensive player in the area at the time – just behind his new teammate, Neymar.
In five full seasons in the French capital, Mbappé became a celebrity, for every club and nation.
He achieved more than 150 dreams with PSG, winning four French league titles, three French Cups and two French league cups alongside his stylish style.
He also became a key player in the team that reached the 2020 Champions League final, only to lose to Bayern Munich.
For the French national team, Mbappé became a daily starter, playing a vital role in France's victory at the 2018 World Cup, in addition to scoring once in the final and being named the best young player of the match.
Despite being half of one of the most expensive club groups of all time, Mbappé and PSG have struggled in the Champions League – one of the club's main ambitions.
Mbappé warms up before PSG's video game against Troyes.
Season after season of dramatic and heartbreaking exits from the competition has emerged with Mbappé looking helpless, culminating during this year's most recent collapse against Real Madrid – during which PSG conceded three goals in 27 minutes to lose a 2-0 aggregate lead.
But after it seemed like he was going to leave, Mbappé announced that he will actually remain with the club until 2025.
‘'It's scandalous''
Following the announcement of Mbappé's new deal, La Liga released a statement saying it will file a complaint against the agreement due to PSG's "failure to comply with UEFA's fair monetary rules.".
“"LaLiga needs to assert that this type of agreement attacks the financial balance of European football, jeopardizing hundreds of jobs and the integrity of the sport, which is no longer simpler in European competitions, but also in domestic leagues," he stated.
La Liga called the deal "scandalous," saying it will file a complaint with UEFA, French administrative and financial authorities, and European Union authorities to "continue to look after the financial ecosystem of European football and its sustainability.".
“"This behavior demonstrates once again that state-owned clubs do not admire or seek to value the guidelines of a sector as important as football. These suggestions are fundamental to protecting and sustaining hundreds of jobs.".
“"This form of behavior, led by Al-Khelaifi, president of PSG, and member of the UEFA Executive Committee and president of the ECA, puts European football at risk on an equal footing because of the European Super League."”
