PSG and Mbappe are in an intense battle over the striker’s unpaid wages, but the issue may run much deeper than the owed sum, according to reports from France.
French forward Kylian Mbappe has been in a battle with his former club over an issue of the striker’s unpaid wages. The saga has dragged on for over a year.
According to Mbappe’s legal team, PSG are obligated to make the payments because they were included in the player’s contract. However, the club argue that Mbappe had agreed to waive these payments before being readmitted back in the squad in 2023.
Last week, Mbappe’s legal team revealed that they have been authorised by a French court to make a precautionary seizure of €55 million from PSG’s bank accounts in order to enforce the payment.
Speaking on the matter, L’Equipe journalist Erik Bielderman said that the quarrel is in fact an ego issue, because PSG are contractually obligated to pay and there is no question of the club being unable to afford the sum.
“I don’t think [PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi] is nervous about the amount of the money,” said Bielderman on talkSPORT. “The money will come from Qatar, it’s not a big deal for them.
“The big point for them is that they don’t want to appear to have lost the war between the club and Mbappe. They will go to the very last legal deal before paying.”
Although PSG insist that Mbappe had come to a verbal agreement with the club to forfeit his bonuses, it may prove difficult to use such a verbal agreement alone as a legal defence.
PSG are very much aware of this, according to Bielderman.
“They know they will have to pay because there was not a written agreement between Mbappe and PSG to cancel these bonuses,” he said. “But they will make it as difficult as they can for the Mbappe legal camp.”
