If the transfer went through, it would set a new record for a transfer fee. Only a year earlier Manchester United had signed Paul Pogba for €105m. If Paris Saint-Germain managed to buy Neymar, however, the €222m paid for the Brazilian would become the new transfer record.
At the end of the previous campaign Real Madrid, PSG and Manchester City all showed huge interest in the Frenchman. It looked as though Kylian Mbappe would stay at Monaco, and he even signed a new contract, but the young talent now seemed drawn to Los Blancos.
Mbappe impressed greatly in the Champions League. Thanks to him, Monaco reached the semi-finals of Europe’s most prestigious club competition. He scored 6 goals in 9 appearances in that season’s UCL and delivered in the biggest matches for his team, in the last 16, the quarter-finals and the semi-final. Mbappe also scored 15 goals in Ligue 1 and won the title. In addition, the Frenchman had already made his international debut and played 4 matches for France.
He has often been compared with Thierry Henry, and the 18-year-old does bring the legendary French forward to mind. A move to Real Madrid would be a huge step in his career, especially at his age. Only time would tell whether he could fight for a place in Real Madrid’s starting XI, where the competition for every place in the team is fierce.
Where Mbappe actually went
The reported move to Madrid did not happen that summer. Mbappe, born in Paris on 20 December 1998, stayed in France and joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 on loan with a mandatory purchase option of €180 million. That fee made him the second most expensive player in history at the time, behind only Neymar.
The record of his breakthrough year at Monaco explains the interest. Having made his debut on 2 December 2015, aged 16, in a 1-1 draw with Caen, he scored 26 goals in 44 matches in all competitions in 2016-17 as Monaco won Ligue 1.
It was a remarkable season for Leonardo Jardim’s side. Monaco finished with 95 points and 107 league goals, winning their first league title since 2000 and ending Paris Saint-Germain’s bid for a fifth consecutive championship. In the Champions League they knocked out Manchester City on away goals and Borussia Dortmund 6-3 on aggregate before losing 4-1 on aggregate to Juventus in the semi-finals. The teenager’s goals were central to both runs.
In Paris he won 15 trophies, including six Ligue 1 titles, and became the club’s all-time top scorer with 256 goals. For France he won the 2018 World Cup, scoring four goals, including one in the 4-2 final win over Croatia, and he was named the tournament’s Best Young Player. He was only the second teenager after Pele to score in a World Cup final. At the 2022 World Cup he scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina, which France lost on penalties after a 3-3 draw, and won the Golden Boot with eight goals as well as the Silver Ball.
The move to Madrid
Real Madrid finally signed him seven years after the reports, once his contract in Paris had expired. The club announced his arrival on 3 June 2024 as a free transfer, on a five-year contract. In his first months in Spain he scored in the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, both of which Madrid won.
Questions people ask
Did Kylian Mbappe join Real Madrid from Monaco in 2017?
No. Mbappe joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 on loan with a mandatory purchase option of €180 million, which made him the second most expensive player at the time after Neymar. Real Madrid only signed him in 2024.
When did Kylian Mbappe sign for Real Madrid?
Real Madrid announced Mbappe's arrival on 3 June 2024 as a free transfer, on a five-year contract. In his first months at the club he scored in the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, both of which Madrid won.
How did Mbappe perform in his breakthrough season at Monaco?
In 2016-17 Mbappe scored 26 goals in 44 matches in all competitions as Monaco won Ligue 1. He had made his senior debut for the club on 2 December 2015, aged 16, in a 1-1 draw with Caen.
Did Mbappe score in a World Cup final?
Yes, in two. He scored in France's 4-2 win over Croatia in the 2018 final, becoming the second teenager after Pele to score in a World Cup final, and he scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final against Argentina, which France lost on penalties after a 3-3 draw.