French soccer star Kylian Mbappé has reportedly turned down a lucrative offer from Al-Hilal to play in Saudi Arabia for one year. The Saudi club had offered a staggering $776 million to Mbappé, intending to make him the world’s highest-paid athlete. However, Mbappé has declined the offer and is instead focused on joining Spanish club Real Madrid.
Al-Hilal’s offer, which was initially reported to be $776 million, has been clarified to include a $332 million transfer fee paid to Mbappé’s current club Paris Saint-Germain and a proposed salary of $221 million. Even this reduced offer would have made him the highest-paid player in soccer, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s reported $214 million earnings from Saudi team Al Nassr.
Despite Al-Hilal’s delegation traveling to Paris for negotiations, Mbappé has shown no interest in discussing a potential deal, as he is set on joining Real Madrid. The Spanish club seems to be his preferred destination, and he currently has no intention of engaging in talks with Al-Hilal, despite their substantial offer.
It is worth noting that Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr are among four Saudi Pro League clubs that were recently restructured to be majority-owned by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund operated by the Saudi Arabian government. Despite their financial resources and efforts to attract top talent, Mbappé has chosen to pursue his career with Real Madrid, a move that could have significant implications for the European soccer landscape.
