Kylian Mbappe could become the highest paid athlete in the world if he makes a superb move to Al Hilal.
Saudi officials are desperate to see the France international move to the Gulf state and have launched an outrageous bid for his services.
Mbappe would become the highest paid athlete in the world by farCredit: Getty
A £259m (€300m) offer has been accepted by Paris Saint-Germain after they told Mbappe they wanted him to leave this summer.
And that will also include a jaw-dropping one-year deal worth £605m (€700m) from Al Hilal – which would see Mbappe become the world’s highest-paid athlete by a huge distance.
According to Forbes, Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest paid athlete in the world currently after moving to Al Nassr and earned £106m from May 2022 to May 2023.
If Mbappe moves to Saudi Arabia, he would earn almost SIX times that total.
The 24-year-old is already third on the list of the highest-paid athletes in the world due to his colossal contract at PSG, which forced him to a two-year extension last summer.
This saw him earn just over £93.5million over the same period – an extravagant amount but not as much as Lionel Messi, who earned £101.4million.
It’s perhaps no surprise that the top three athletes on the Forbes list are footballers – and arguably the top three in the world right now.
But they are the only soccer stars in the top 10, which also includes three basketball players, two golfers, a boxer and a former tennis player.
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Ronaldo is already in the Saudi Pro League but would earn a fraction of Mbappe’s salaryCredit: AFP
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Messi was second on the list but would drop to third if Mbappe moves to Saudi ArabiaCredit: GETTY
Incredibly, Mbappe’s potential earnings in Saudi will see him earn more than the top six combined (£552.5m).
NBA superstar LeBron James earned just a fraction less than Mbappe last year earning £93.2m while boxing icon Canelo Alvarez totaled £85.8m in earnings.
Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson have earned a pretty penny since also gorging themselves with Saudi millions when they joined LIV Golf, raking in £83.45m and £82.67m respectively.
But even if the quartet combined their earnings with Messi and Ronaldo, they would still be quite far behind Mbappe’s Saudi deal.
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James is ready for another season with the Los Angeles Lakers and will make a good cornerCredit: Getty
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Johnson does some decent dosh swinging his clubsCredit: Getty
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Canelo makes a lot of money from his fightsCredit: Melina Pizano/Matchroom
Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry (£78.3m), tennis ace Roger Federer (£74.2m) and Phoenix Suns basketball player Kevin Durant (£69.5m) make up the rest of the top 10, whose combined value of £222m represents just over a third of Mbappe’s potential earnings at Al Hilal.
Surprisingly, Al Hilal are said to be ready to have Mbappe for just one year if he wants to join Real Madrid in the summer of 2024.
It seems like a deal that works for everyone – PSG don’t lose their talisman for nothing when his contract expires, the Saudi Pro League get arguably the best player in the world and Real Madrid still get their man for free.
And, of course, Mbappe will be paid well for his time in the Middle East, it just depends on whether the World Cup winner wants to leave Europe or not.
The highest paid athletes in the world
Earnings from May 2022 to May 2023, according to Forbes
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 106 millions de livres sterling – Football
2. Lionel Messi – £101.4m – Soccer
3. Kylian Mbappé – £93.5m – Football
4. LeBron James – 93,2 millions de livres sterling – Basket
5. Canelo Alvarez – £85.8m – Boxing
6. Dustin Johnson – £83.45m – Golf
7. Phil Mickelson – £82.67million – Golf
8. Stephen Curry – 78,3 millions de livres sterling – Basket
9. Roger Federer – £74.2m – Tennis
10. Kevin Durant – £69.5m – Basketball
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2023-07-25 00:21:12
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