Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappé's reported move to Real Madrid one of rarest in soccer

Updated Feb. 20, 2024 2:06 p.m. ET

They have this Fight Club-esque thing at Real Madrid, where certain things don’t get talked about.

Until a new superstar has actually, officially, put pen to paper and signed with the team, key Madrid figures, from officials to coaches to players (fans are thankfully exempt from the unwritten rule), typically maintain their code of silence, save for any tactical statements deemed necessary to get a deal over the line.

But the first rule of Los Galacticos — and the second — is being severely stretched right now, if not outright broken. The excitement of seemingly landing Kylian Mbappé, at long last, appears to have been enough to cut through even the tightest-held protocols.

Mbappé-to-Madrid is not yet a completely done deal, but numerous reports out of Europe suggest it is as good as complete, with sufficient willingness on the part of both the player and the Spanish giant. Of course, this is due to his current team, Paris St. Germain, having no contractual hold on him after this season.

This is a switch that has felt like a long time in the making, one that nearly happened two years ago. Even more than that, it makes perfect sense. Real Madrid is where the biggest stars go to test themselves, and at 25, Mbappé is already etched as true soccer royalty.

[Future looks brighter for Kylian Mbappé than PSG as club faces uncertainty]

Six years ago, the French forward was the shining light as his national team won the World Cup in Russia, while still a teenager. In the winter of 2022, his performance on the grandest stage of all was even more weighty, turning the World Cup final into a head-to-head showdown between all-time soccer legend Lionel Messi and himself.

Mbappé could not have done any more on that wild Qatari night, scoring an extraordinary hat trick that twice pulled France level, and then converting his spot kick in the penalty shootout. Ultimately, though, he was unable to get his hands on the trophy once again.

One of his France teammates who missed in that shootout, Aurelien Tchouameni, will be among his new colleagues, assuming he completes the expected switch to the Bernabeu, following a PSG stint where he netted a remarkable 244 goals in 291 games. With this being 2024, Tchouameni’s reaction when the news of an impending deal broke in the Spanish press came in the form of a popcorn emoji on social media. Succinctly put, because when the Mbappé era begins it will indeed be time to plunk down on the couch and watch it all unfold.

Tchouameni admitted Real Madrid’s players are already talking about Mbappé joining because "it is an important topic," and such is the esteem in which Mbappé is held that the saga has partly overshadowed a season in which the team is in firm control of the La Liga title race.

Brazilian midfielder Rodrygo has said he "would love" Mbappé to join, while former club president Ramon Calderon, who still has his finger firmly on the pulse of all things Real, talked as if negotiations were already finalized.

"We have very young players — he will join Vinicius, Rodrygo, (Jude) Bellingham," Calderon told the BBC. "And we have a very strong team. That's why we are leading La Liga and also we've won all our matches in the Champions League.

"(Mbappé) will leave a mark. If he continues to play as he has up until now, for sure he will be one of the important players we have had in our history."

Madrid has made some of the most explosive signings in soccer folklore — Luis Figo defecting from Barcelona, Brazil’s Ronaldo coming at the peak of his powers, David Beckham dialing up the celebrity factor and Gareth Bale shattering the fiscal glass ceiling of 100 million euros.

But when stacked up against other signings in more recent times, there is only one that would match Mbappé’s impact — when Cristiano Ronaldo joined from Manchester United in 2009, at a similar age and level of reputation.

Mbappé is never going to feature on the list of Real Madrid’s most expensive signings. By playing out his PSG contract, it means no transfer money will be due between the clubs. That will allow Mbappé to secure a huge signing bonus that has been cited at around $162 million, plus a weekly wage of more than $300,000. Even then, the total package may turn out to be less than he was making at PSG.

The current make-up of the Madrid team, based around young talent, is surely part of the attraction. Bellingham has a legitimate claim as the best player in the world right now and has been in stunning form since joining from Borussia Dortmund last summer. Vinícius Jr. and Rodrygo have also been mostly impeccable in all competitions, and the team is comfortably six points clear at the top of the league standings.

Compared to his new colleagues, Mbappé can almost be considered a veteran in his mid-20s, though no one would suggest he is even close to being done yet, and, unthinkable though this sounds, might not even have reached his full potential.

With historic rival Barcelona shackled by financial penalties, Real fans are hungrily eyeing a fresh period of domestic glory, though the extravagant spending of reigning Champions League winner Manchester City presents a roadblock in that competition.

In Mbappé, Madrid is poised to land the rarest of things in soccer, a player who is an icon even before his career reaches its midway point. For all the big money splashes made by teams from the Saudi Pro League, Messi’s switch to Inter Miami, and City’s muscular acquisitions, this is the move of all moves.

It carries a future significance that can only be imagined, and a development so important that it cannot be silenced.

Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider newsletter. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the daily newsletter.