Kylian Mbappe’s move from Nike to Swiss sportswear company On came with a major financial decision, with the Real Madrid forward turning down a contract that would have placed him among the highest-paid athletes in the world for sponsorship.
Mbappe officially ended his long association with Nike after his contract expired this summer.
The Frenchman stopped wearing the American brand at the end of July before eventually agreeing to a long-term partnership with On.
L’Equipe has now revealed just how hard Nike tried to keep the Real Madrid superstar, with the company prepared to offer terms that would have made Mbappe’s endorsement deal one of the biggest in sport.
Nike offered Mbappe more than €20m every year
According to the report, Nike presented Mbappe with a 10-year contract worth more than €20 million per year during negotiations over a new agreement.
Kylian Mbappe thanked Nike in an emotional post. (Source: Instagram)
Had he accepted, the deal would have put Mbappe alongside NBA superstar LeBron James as one of the best-paid athletes in the world from an equipment sponsorship.
Nike’s offer showed the value the company placed on keeping one of football’s biggest global stars.
Mbappe had been associated with the brand since childhood and continued wearing Nike boots even after his previous agreement had expired.
Ultimately, though, the Frenchman chose a different direction.
Mbappe begins new chapter with On
Mbappe has now become one of the central figures in On’s expansion into football, signing a 10-year partnership with the Swiss company.
The decision is certainly a major shift for a player whose relationship with Nike stretched back to his childhood. Mbappe himself acknowledged the significance of ending that chapter in a message shared on Instagram.
Reflecting on his long association with Nike, the Real Madrid forward wrote: “Some decisions are harder to make than others. Nike has been a part of my life since I was a child.”
Mbappe then looked back to the beginning of that relationship, recalling that he was “7 years old when this story began.”
Now, Mbappe has opted to build a new relationship with On at a point when his profile at Real Madrid continues to grow.
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