da 888： The France captain wants to move to the Spanish capital this summer – but that doesn't mean that one of the sport's great transfer stories is over

da betano casino： It took nearly three years, two near-misses, and at least one public passive-aggressive statement, but Kylian Mbappe finally seems poised to join Real Madrid. His threat to not extend his Paris Saint-Germain contract at the end of the 2023-24 season has worked.

A number of outlets, including , and Fabrizio Romano, have reported similar versions of the same story: Mbappe wants to call Santiago Bernabeu his home from next season. That's good news for Los Blancos, of course. They are getting one of the best players in the world, and someone who might yet become an all-time great. For all of the drama, this is PSG's all-time top goalscorer, France captain, and only the second player to have scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final.

PSG, too, might benefit. Mbappe has agreed to depart on good terms, pledging to ensure that his hometown team get some financial compensation for his departure. And the potential PR disaster of it all has been reasonably managed, as Mbappe has performed very well this season, and could yet leave Paris with at least one more trophy to his name. If this is a farewell tour, it's not a bad one.

Still, the Mbappe saga isn't quite over. Past events have shown that he's not necessarily the most predictable presence within the world game, and any number of things could go wrong between now and July. GOAL takes a look at the necessary hurdles that need to be cleared to ensure that this saga finally comes to an end this summer…

Getty1Mbappe must inform PSG

Mbappe has been coy about this whole thing for months now, dodging questions on his future destination, while affirming his commitment to PSG until at least the end of the season. But he did come close to revealing that he has an exit route, acknowledging in January that he has "an agreement" with Nasser Al-Khelaifi about what might happen at the end of the season, even if he doesn't sign a new contract at Parc des Princes.

It was the kind of vague sentiment that Mbappe has lived off for years now, but given the circumstances, it stands as perhaps the biggest hint he has dropped yet. Mbappe is set to stay until the end of the campaign, and there is a plan in place to ensure that he can exit the club on reasonably good terms. This whole thing seems poised to be rather amicable – as long as he communicates his decision under the terms of whatever agreement might be in place.

AdvertisementGetty Images2Madrid's must move some money around

Real Madrid, contrary to popular belief, are not made of money. Yes, they generate the most revenue out of any club in the world; yes, they have been granted the most room for player investment – a cool €728 million (£623/$782m) – under La Liga's financial rules, and yes, they were able to spend big on Jude Bellingham and Endrick over the past year or so.

But they're also rather financially prudent. There have been some expensive flops in the past, but in recent years, president Florentino Perez has been cautious in the transfer market. And for some players to come in, others will have to leave.

Luka Modric, for one, certainly appears to be in the twilight of his career. The Croatia midfielder has seen his minutes managed for almost three seasons now, and strongly considered a move to the Saudi Pro League last summer. At 38, it makes little sense for him to stay at the club for another year, and that would clear a reasonable €22m (£19m/$24m) from Madrid's wage bill.

Lucas Vazquez (€9m(£7.7m/$9.7m)), and perhaps Nacho (€8.5m(£7.3m/$9.1m)) could also depart, while Madrid face a decision over Toni Kroos' future, whose electric form could force them into offering the German another one-year deal.

Even if Kroos stays, Madrid are likely to have in excess of €30m to put towards an Mbappe contract. That won't be close to enough to meet his full demands, but it will certainly help move them in the right direction.

Getty3Mbappe must waive his loyalty bonus

Mbappe's contract is complicated, and its details have never been made fully public, though reported over the summer that the Parisians paid Mbappe €200m in the 2022-23 season alone. Regardless of the total figure, PSG have reported a base salary of €72m for their star man. The activation of other clauses would surely see that number skyrocket.

One such extra fee is the well-publicised loyalty bonus that Mbappe accrued upon his renewal with the club in 2022. That clause, which is renewable every year, guarantees the French forward €80m (£69m/$86m) for every year he stays at the club. It's an immense fee, the kind that has seldom been seen in world football before.

How, exactly, PSG will be financially compensated for Mbappe's exit is unknown, but he will certainly have to waive the extra chunk of cash he was set to receive from the club if he wishes to depart. That fee won't account for his value alone, but it will certainly allow the Parisians to save some cash towards buying replacements.

(C)Getty images4Madrid's final offer

What do you give the player who has already turned down unimaginable wealth from Saudi Arabia?

Madrid certainly won't match that figure, or even come close. In all likelihood, they won't even be able to match Mbappe's current salary. They are, however, already preparing a handsome signing-on bonus for their newest free agent signing, and they will surely have to make Mbappe their highest-earner.

There also remains the contentious issue of image rights. Mbappe wanted full control of his brand at PSG two years ago, and never got it. Madrid were reportedly willing to offer a greater share at the time, and those fine margins could sweeten whatever package Madrid can put together.