French soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé may become the richest free agent in sports history. Al Hilal, a Saudi Arabian soccer club, has offered Mbappé a contract worth over $332 million. Talk about securing the bag, not just for himself, but for his family.
Negotiations came to a halt between Mbappé and Paris Saint-Germain after the star decided not to opt into the 12-month extension on his deal in June. Many have speculated that he will join Real Madrid as a free agent at the end of the upcoming season.
On Saturday, PSG dropped Mbappé from its preseason tour of Japan after the two sides could not reach an agreement. Although the Parisian soccer club has confirmed the offer and has given Al Hilal permission to negotiate with Mbappé, sources close to the situation have said that he is not interested.
News of the potential deal has drawn the attention of several NBA players, who jokingly offered their services to the Saudis in exchange for a hefty contract.
LeBron James tweeted the Forrest Gump running GIF with a caption that read, “Me headed to Saudi when they call @RichPaul4 & @mavcarter for that 1-year deal!”
Milwaukee Buck star Giannis Antetokounmpo also chimed in, tweeting, “Al Hilal you can take me. I look like Kylian Mbappé.”
Saudi Arabia has been making a major push into international sports. Some have accused the country of “sportswashing” by using professional sports as an entry point “to clean up the kingdom's image, as it remains one of the world's top executioners.”
According to a U.S. intelligence report, Prince Mohammed ordered the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Currently, Saudi Arabia is in an ongoing conflict with Yemen.
Should Mbappé take the deal? Let us know in the comments.
