But now really

Fixed! Mbappe moves to Real Madrid on a free transfer

What the sparrows have been whistling from the rooftops for years has now (finally) really happened: Kylian Mbappé is moving from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid! Spain's record soccer champions announced the signing of France's star striker two days after winning the Champions League ... 

Mbappé signed a five-year contract with the employer of Austria team star David Alaba. The 25-year-old 2018 world champion announced his departure from PSG in May, with Real having been his club of choice for years.

"Nobody can understand how excited I am right now!"
"A dream come true," wrote Mbappé on Instagram, along with photos of him as a child in Real kit and with former Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo. "Nobody can understand how excited I am right now. I can't wait to see you," he said, addressing the fans of the "royals".

Born in the Parisian suburb of Bondy, Mbappé has played for PSG since his €180 million move from AS Monaco in 2017 and is the Parisians' record goalscorer. He has won the league six times and the cup four times with the capital club. In 308 games for PSG, he scored 256 goals.

Champions League triumph was not granted to Mbappé
However, one thing has not happened: the French national team captain has yet to win the Champions League. Last season, PSG were knocked out in the semi-finals after two 1-0 defeats against Borussia Dortmund. Real went on to lift the trophy against the Germans.

Kylian Mbappe(Bild: AFP/APA/FRANCK FIFE)

The deal with Mbappé had reportedly been negotiated for weeks and the Madrilenians were already on the verge of signing the attacker two years ago. At the time, however, Mbappé extended his contract with Paris on improved terms. Now no transfer fee was due, but in such cases players and advisors are usually happy to receive a generous hand money. According to reports, the fee in this case is 150 million euros.

At Real, Mbappé will also be joined by three of his national team colleagues, Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouameni. All four are in the European Championship squad for Les Bleus, who will face Austria, the Netherlands and Poland in the group stage. France will play the Austrian team in their first match on June 17 in Düsseldorf.

Kylian Mbappe(Bild: GEPA)

Not called up to the 25-man Olympic squad
The move to Madrid may mean that Mbappé's hoped-for appearance at the Olympic Games in Paris will come to nothing. On Monday, coach Thierry Henry's goalscorer was probably not included in the provisional 25-man squad due to opposition from Mbappé's future employer.

Even French President Emmanuel Macron wants the striker to take part in the games. Mbappé himself also expressed his desire to play for France in Paris. In Group A, the French team will face the USA, Guinea and New Zealand from July 24.