Exclusive: French football expert’s insight into Kylian Mbappe’s ongoing row with PSG

Jonathan Johnson has explained what’s really going on with Kylian Mbappe and his continued dispute with Paris Saint-Germain even after leaving the club on a free transfer to Real Madrid this summer.

Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing column, Johnson made it clear that this issue between Mbappe and PSG actually dates back some time, as it relates to an apparent difference in opinion over an agreement that was struck between the player and his former club at the start of last season.

The France international could take legal action against PSG for money he’s still owed, but Johnson has explained why the Ligue 1 giants feel frustrated by their former star after he seemed to acknowledge an agreement in public just over a year ago.

Mbappe ended up staying at PSG for one more season after a rocky summer in 2023, and it seems he’s now keeping this row going when it looked to have been settled once he’d been reintegrated back into Luis Enrique’s squad.

Mbappe vs PSG row explained

“There’s been an interesting story evolving about the dispute between Kylian Mbappe and PSG over money and what may be a large amount of unpaid wages to Mbappe from his time at the Parc des Princes. This is not actually something new, it’s been rumbling on for some time,” Johnson said.

“I think PSG have made their position very clear on the matter – if we cast our minds back to the start of last season, when Mbappe hadn’t really had a pre-season but was then welcomed back into the team. This dispute is essentially relating to that time when it was felt that an agreement had been reached which protected all parties over certain bonuses and fees that Mbappe had essentially agreed to forfeit in order for PSG to agree to reintegrate him into their squad.

“Is there a risk that this could escalate? I think that the longer it drags on, the more it could become a real headache for both PSG and Mbappe. PSG have been very clear whenever they’ve communicated about it in public, saying that the talks are ongoing. Discussions will continue to take place to reach an amicable conclusion and a settlement that suits all parties.

“But I think PSG feel frustrated, because they feel the agreement at the time was clear, especially as Mbappe came out publicly and said that there was an agreement in place. I think it now feels like it’s sort of stopping PSG and Mbappe from properly moving on from their time together. So I think it’s something we can expect to see cleared up in the coming weeks or months, but I think time is starting to be of the essence now.”