Mbappe rejects French league mediation proposal in PSG salary row

Kylian Mbappe’s entourage said on Wednesday they had refused the French football league’s (LFP) offer to act as a mediator between the France captain and Paris Saint-Germain in their dispute over unpaid wages and bonuses for the striker.

Mbappe claims PSG owe him 55 million euros ($60.6m) which the Parisians say the 25-year-old had agreed to waive in August 2023.

The Real Madrid forward has demanded the sum, which includes a signing bonus he was expecting to receive in February, the three final months of his salary, as well as an “ethical bonus” covering the period.

Lawyers representing the two parties met early on Wednesday after Mbappe, who joined Madrid this summer, had referred his case to the LFP’s legal committee.

The league then offered to mediate.

“The eventuality of a mediation was mentioned this morning,” Mbappe’s entourage told AFP in a statement.

“This possibility was rejected during the meeting by the player’s representative.

“A mediation would be useless  to establish a lack of payment that can be seen from a simple analysis of the player’s payslip.”

The LFP told AFP it would notify Mbappe and PSG of its decision in the case on Friday.

Earlier in the day, PSG had welcomed the proposition.

“Paris Saint-Germain is very pleased with today’s two-hour hearing before the commission,” PSG said.

“The club recalled that the player has made clear repeated public and private commitments that must be respected, having been afforded unprecedented benefits by the club over seven fantastic years in Paris.

“In the light of the club’s oral and documented arguments, the commission insisted on mediation between the parties, which Paris Saint-Germain has been seeking for many months.”