PARIS (BN24)— The legal confrontation between Paris Saint-Germain and Kylian Mbappé escalated Monday in the French capital as both sides presented sweeping financial demands before an industrial tribunal examining their dispute over unpaid wages and contract obligations. Mbappé, who did not attend the hearing, now seeks more than 260 million euros, arguing that his fixed-term deal with the club should be reclassified as a permanent contract. His claim contends that such a reclassification would entitle him to compensation for unfair dismissal, unpaid salaries, bonuses, and severance, along with damages for moral harassment, undeclared work, and alleged failures by PSG to uphold its duty of good faith and workplace safety.
Representatives for the French forward said in a statement that he is only seeking the rights afforded to any employee under French labor law. Mbappé had previously claimed PSG owed him 55 million euros in unpaid wages and bonuses.
PSG responded with a claim of its own, seeking 440 million euros from the forward. The club argues it suffered a significant financial blow when Mbappé left as a free agent, including what it describes as a 180 million euro “loss of opportunity” to complete a transfer. PSG points to Mbappé’s decision to reject a 300 million euro offer from Saudi club Al-Hilal in July 2023 as evidence of a lost financial windfall. The club said it is also pursuing damages for what it calls breaches of good-faith negotiations, contract performance issues, and harm to its image.
The dispute revisits the tense months leading into the 2023-24 season, when Mbappé was left out of the first team after signaling he would not trigger an extra year on his contract. PSG contends he concealed his decision not to extend between July 2022 and June 2023, limiting the club’s ability to arrange a transfer. The club also said he challenged an August 2023 agreement that laid out a salary reduction should he leave on a free transfer, an arrangement PSG described as necessary to protect its finances after investing heavily in him.
Mbappé’s camp countered that no evidence supports claims he agreed to surrender existing payments. The player also accused PSG of moral harassment, citing what he described as “lofting,” a French term for isolating a player from the senior squad for sporting or disciplinary reasons. His relationship with the club deteriorated sharply after he declined to extend the contract he signed in 2022 a deal considered the most lucrative in PSG history.
After notifying the club he would not renew, Mbappé was excluded from a preseason tour to Japan and South Korea and trained away from the main group. He did not play in PSG’s opening league match before negotiations led to his return. PSG rejected all harassment allegations, saying he played in more than 94 percent of the club’s official matches during the 2023-24 season, with all sporting decisions made by a coach who later won the Champions League. The club maintained that its working environment complied with the Professional Football Charter.
Mbappé left PSG for Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 on a free transfer, departing with a club-record 256 goals scored over seven seasons. The tribunal is expected to issue its ruling next month, marking a critical moment in one of the most consequential legal battles involving a European football star.
