With only a few months left on his PSG contract, Kylian Mbappe‘s future is giving plenty to talk about in world soccer. The French superstar has reportedly decided to join Real Madrid as a free agent in the summer, which is why the Spanish club would already have a shirt number prepared for him.
Mundo Deportivo claims Mbappe would take the iconic number 10 jersey once he moves to the Santiago Bernabeu next season. The current No. 7 he wears at Paris Saint-Germain is taken by Vinicius Junior at La Casa Blanca, while the No. 10 would be up for grabs.
Luka Modric, currently holder of the shirt, is expected to leave the Spanish capital at the end of the season. Having spent 12 years at the club, the Croatia international slipped down the pecking order this term as Carlo Ancelotti has given more playing time to the likes of Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni, Toni Kroos, and Federico Valverde.
While the No. 7 has a special meaning both for Mbappe and Real Madrid as plenty of legends have worn it (including Cristiano Ronaldo), the Frenchman is no stranger to the No. 10, as he wore it with the national team uniform.
Terms of Mbappe’s reported agreement with Real Madrid
According to Marca, Mbappe has already agreed to and signed a pre-contract agreement with Real Madrid. The deal is reportedly for five seasons, with Mbappe expected to make between 15 and 20 million euros per season, though the number could be higher with add-ons.
The 25-year-old is understood to have accepted a pay cut compared to his current PSG salary (32 million euros per year). Mbappe had already flirted with leaving for Madrid on a free transfer in 2022, when he ultimately signed a new deal with the Ligue 1 side.
While the club announced Mbappe’s renewal until 2025, it turns out that his third year was optional. Mbappe has seemingly opted not to trigger the option to stay for the 2024-25, as the Marca report claims he asked the club not to bring him any offers as he’s made up his mind.