The long-running dispute between Kylian Mbappé and his former club Paris Saint-Germain has escalated into a full-blown legal battle, with both parties presenting staggering financial claims before a French labour court on Monday.
Mbappé, now at Real Madrid, is seeking €263 million in damages from PSG, while the club has hit back with a counterclaim of €440 million, arguing the France captain’s actions cost them a fortune both on and off the pitch.
PSG’s legal team, represented by seven lawyers, said their figure was based in large part on a failed €300 million transfer to Saudi club Al Hilal in June 2023, which Mbappé refused.
“We are indeed claiming 440 million euros,” club lawyer Renaud Semerdjian told AFP after the hearing, explaining that the amount includes:
- Lost transfer revenue from the abandoned Al Hilal deal
- Compensation for alleged damage to the club’s image
- An alleged breach of an internal agreement PSG says was reached with Mbappé after he rejected the move to Saudi Arabia
The club maintains that Mbappé later left for free to Real Madrid when his contract expired the following summer, depriving PSG of any transfer fee for a player who had been their headline star for seven seasons.
Mbappé did not attend the hearing in person but was represented by four lawyers. He denies having made any agreement in 2023 to waive financial entitlements, insisting that such a deal “never existed.”
His original complaint, filed in June, centres on his treatment at the start of the 2023–24 season, when he refused to sign a contract extension. He says the club:
- Excluded him from the pre-season tour of Asia
- Made him train with a separate group of players the club was trying to offload
- Left him out of the opening league game
The practice of isolating players who refuse new deals is common in France and has already prompted a complaint from the players’ union. Mbappé’s legal team also argues that PSG misclassified his contract under French labour law, to his detriment.
Mbappé scored 256 goals in 308 games for PSG before joining Real Madrid, where he reportedly earns €30 million per year. Ironically, PSG went on to win the Champions League for the first time last season, after his departure.
The labour tribunal is expected to deliberate for several weeks, with a ruling due on 16 December, in what could be one of the most expensive player–club disputes in football history.
