7 Takeaways from Kylian Mbappé's Reported Free Transfer to Real Madrid

It might finally be happening.

While neither player nor club has confirmed the news just yet, Le Parisien and ESPN are reporting that Kylian Mbappé will be taking his talents to the Spanish capital next season, with Real Madrid set to snap up the 25-year-old once his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires.

It's been a long and exhausting saga that has seen many false starts and shocking twists, but a switch that has seemingly been written in the stars looks like it will be coming to fruition.

Sources have told ESPN that Mbappé's decision is settled, but being allowed to represent his country at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris is key to the move progressing as planned.

It's unlikely Real will deny that request if it means signing arguably the best player in the world for "free" (even though Madrid will pay no transfer to acquire the World Cup winner's services, the wages that will be given to him will be astronomical.)

The move will send ripples throughout the football world, and here are the knee-jerk reactions regarding the reported switch.

Los Blancos haven't been afraid to splash the cash in years gone by, but a free transfer for a World Cup-winning, generational talent would be the most stunning deal of the last decade. Possibly even in football history.

Even if those wages were astronomical—and ESPN is reporting he will take a 50 percent pay cut to grace the Santiago Bernabéu with his abilities—it would still be a steal.

The CIES Football Observatory's data has Mbappé's transfer value at nearly $115 million (€106.2 million) in its January 2024 release of the most expensive players in football, even with an expiring contract.

Transfermarkt, meanwhile, lists him as the most valuable player in world football alongside Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland at over $194 million (€180 million).

And Real are getting him for nothing. Zero euros.

As far as bargains go, this one seems far too good to be true.

La Liga isn't short of talent. Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Robert Lewandowski, Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde, Antoine Griezmann and Rodrygo are just some of the names capable of grabbing headlines every week.

But after Lionel Messi left Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo departed Real Madrid, there has been a distinct lack of superstar in Spain's top tier.

Bellingham has been sensational, there's no argument there, while Vinicius is undoubtedly incredible and Lewandowski can still marvel even at 35 years old.

But Mbappé is in his prime, and has a World Cup title to his name (and two appearances in the tournament's final). He's been bamboozling defenders all ends up for the best part of the past 10 years.

This is an unbelievable addition to a league that sorely misses two players who traded Ballons d'Or from 2008 to 2017.

Mbappé hasn't put his name on that illustrious list just yet, but a grander stage in a higher-profile league might just allow him to etch his name in the annals of football legend.

Paris Saint-Germain gradually built itself up as a destination for the world's top talent from the early 2010s, with Zlatan Ibrahimović's arrival in 2012 accelerating its status.

Players like Edinson Cavani, Marco Verratti, Thiago Silva, Neymar, Mbappé and Messi helped to cement PSG as a club to aspire to, and the ludicrous wages on offer were by no means a hindrance.

But, with Mbappé reportedly on his way out, none of those players will be around next season, and no one else in the current squad can boast the kind of allure that any of those names provided.

With that, the quest for an elusive Champions League title seems further away than it has for over a decade, and the club's ability to draw in truly world-class talent will be severely affected.

Meanwhile, Ligue 1 will be much less appealing to the casual viewer, impacting its standing in the European game and likely reducing its revenue.

Mbappé's departure will be a huge loss for both club and league.

From 2000 to 2006, Real Madrid president Florentino Peréz was intent on bringing the best, most expensive players to the Spanish capital, making the club one of the most feared teams on the planet.

Luis Figo, David Beckham, Ronaldo Nazário, Zinedine Zidane and Sergio Ramos were among that crop, and with them came a dose of glitz and glamor that would define Los Blancos for a generation.

Star signings have come and gone in that time, with Cristiano Ronaldo being perhaps the most notable of the lot, but a true "Galacticos era" has never truly been established since.

But Peréz might have brought Real Madrid closer to that status since those halcyon days thanks to an abundance of young, exciting stars.

Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Camavinga, Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Rodrygo are all 25 years old or younger, and they could carry the club for the next decade if they continue their seemingly unstoppable ascent.

Add Mbappé to the mix, and that becomes terrifying for any club that dares to stand in Los Blancos' way.

It will be a nice headache to have, adding Mbappé to the wealth of talent currently at his disposal, but Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti will have a hard time fitting everyone in and keeping everyone happy.

Just who will he play and where? Will Vinicius Junior be asked to occupy a more central role? Will Mbappé have to adjust his position to fit in with his new squad? What will Rodrygo do in this new setup?

A healthy supply of top-quality players seems great, but should Real fail to live up to expectations with a new ego to satisfy, Ancelotti will be the first one fans will direct their anger towards.

And if he can't deliver success with one of the finest groups of attacking players in existence, an otherwise successful reign could end embarrassingly for the Italian.

While Barcelona and Real Madrid appear to be in cahoots when it comes to creating the much-derided European Super League, that doesn't mean their on-pitch rivalry is any less heated.

Despite winning the La Liga title last season, a relatively barren run in Europe over the past 10 years has put the Blaugrana behind their enemies in terms of superiority.

With mounting financial woes to contend with, and with manager Xavi announcing he'll be departing the Camp Nou at the end of the season, the next few years could be tricky for the side from the north-east of Spain.

And Real signing one of the best players in the world isn't the news you'd want to hear in those troubling circumstances.

Barcelona could be left exposed while their fierce foes establish a new era of dominance for the foreseeable future.

You've probably seen the picture of a young Kylian Mbappé sitting on his bed in his childhood room surrounded by pictures of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Well, it seems he'll finally get his chance to try to replicate the achievements of the player he worshipped as a kid—furthermore, Real Madrid and France legend Zidane was also a hero for the young Mbappé.

The Parisian's record for PSG has been remarkable, scoring 241 goals and recording 105 assists for the capital side in just 288 games, but it's not been enough to earn him a Champions League title or a Ballon d'Or—he came closest to the latter in 2023 after coming third, making the podium for the first time in his career.

With a trophy cabinet that already boasts a World Cup-winners' medal, those two honors are among the biggest prizes he'll want to claim.

Playing for a team that has won the most Champions League titles in competition history (14) and has seen its players claim the Ballon d'Or in six of the last 10 years it has been awarded (Cristiano Ronaldo four times, Luka Modrić once and Karim Benzema once) gives him a great shot of ticking those items off his list.

It's a huge move for Mbappé, who will finally get the opportunity to demonstrate his otherworldly skills in a league with a much higher profile than the one he's called home for all of his professional life.