There is no doubt that Kylian Mbappe is a modern-day superstar in the soccer world. He won the FIFA World Cup at the age of 18 years in 2018. Not only that, the Frenchman carried the national team on his shoulders to the finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup final. He even scored a scintillating hat trick in the finals against Argentina. Now there are only two players in history who have scored hattricks in FIFA World Cup final. There was Geoff Hurst (England), and now there is Kylian Mbappe (France). Clearly, he is a big reason why France was able to reach back-to-back finals in the World Cup. Along with Erling Haaland, Mbappe gets the status of the rightful successor of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He is a prolific scorer, and any team will be lucky to have him.
Mbappe’s countryman Karim Benzema opted to play for the European giants, Real Madrid, for a long time. Even the modern-day sensation expressed a desire to play for the Spanish giants. However, unlike Benzema, Kylian Mbappe chose to stay in his country and lead his country club Paris Saint-Germain. Since 2018, Mbappe has been the central figure in the team. But after winning the World Cup for France in 2018, Mbappe has risen to a different level of fame. Hence, his requirements and desires from his PSG team have also risen up. That is why it looks like Kylian Mbappe is following in the footsteps of billionaire sportsman LeBron James regarding contract negotiations with his current club.
Kylian Mbappe Does What LeBron James Does To Negotiate His Contracts
Currently, team PSG is a mess as Lionel Messi has decided to move to Miami. Hence, at this point, PSG fans and management are looking up with hope at Mbappe. But seems like he is trying to pull off a LeBron James-style move in terms of contract negotiations. The NBA superstar, when he returned to Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014, made a two-year deal with a player option for the second year. But his contract stated that the team must acquire Kevin Love, trading whoever they need to. And when the first season was over, LeBron James declined the contract and signed with the Cavaliers on the same structure but a better deal for him.
Like James, another NBA superstar Kevin Durant did the same thing with Golden State Warriors after his team beat the Cavaliers in the 2017 finals. He opted out of the contract and became a free agent. Later he signed with the Warriors again on an improved contract. Apparently, Kylian Mbappe is trying to do the same thing now with PSG. Previously, he signed with Paris-Saint Germain a 5-year contract. But after the contract ran down, he used the leverage that he could sign with Real Madrid or any team he wanted in order to sign a more profitable contract with PSG. According to FBref, Mbappe made a deal worth $78 million approximately a year. In the process, he managed to double his salary and become the highest-paid soccer player in the world, according to ESPN.
French Journalist Slams Mbappe For Copying LeBron James
Evidently, Kylian Mbappe has waited for a long time to win the UEFA Champions League with PSG. But until now, the closest he came to being the best in Europe was when PSG reached the finals but lost to Bayern Munich 0-1. Hence, a player of his stature must look for a place where he can finally win the UCL. However, Mbappe’s contract is set to end next year, but he shows no desperation to extend his deal with PSG. He is still the centerpiece of the French club’s lineup.
Although Daniel Riolo of RMC believes that, “Anybody can replace Mbappe.” According to him, many teams win UCL without Mbappe, hence it would be a total aberration if he leaves PSG for free. Moreover, the French journalist does not like the power Mbappe has over the team. Riolo commented that Mbappe thinks he is LeBron James. Apparently, Kylian Mbappe chose the sporting director, who in return chose the coach. On the other hand, Jerome Rothen, a PSG player, says, “A free exit for Mbappe would be dramatic. The club has a year to offer Mbappe different guarantees to lure him to stay.”
