Kylian Mbappe of France
Kylian Mbappe of France
Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe is undoubtedly one of the biggest superstars in football and a magnet when it comes to attracting brand deals.
He was on World Cup duty with France, finishing 4th in the tournament and has been on holiday so far. Mbappe is scheduled to return to first-team training tomorrow.
Now, the Frenchman is preparing for a major change away from the pitch after ending his long-standing relationship with Nike.
According to French journalist Thibaud Vezirian (h/t Mundo Deportivo), the Real Madrid superstar stopped wearing the American brand on 31 July and is now close to signing a highly lucrative agreement with an unexpected company.
Kylian Mbappe, France and Real Madrid player
Mbappe’s Nike relationship set to come to an end. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Mbappe had been associated with Nike since the age of eight, meaning the reported split ends one of the longest commercial relationships of his career.
Throughout his rise at Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, the French national team and now Real Madrid, Nike had remained closely tied to his image.
The change is therefore significant, especially considering Mbappe’s status as one of the most marketable footballers in the world.
Vezirian has mentioned that Mbappe’s next sponsor is unlikely to be one of football’s established giants, such as Adidas, Puma or Under Armour.
“Everything is moving very quickly for an ‘unexpected’ brand to become Kylian Mbappe’s equipment supplier,” he said.
Kylian Mbappe #10 of France
Mbappe’s mystery new brand remains unknown. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
“The agreement is being finalised. It is a major change.”
The journalist added that another football star could also be involved as the company looks to make a major entrance into the football market with high-end boots.
The most intriguing part of the journalist’s reveal is the structure of Mbappe’s new agreement.
“Kylian Mbappe will undoubtedly benefit from his own brand and from a stake in the company,” Vezirian explained.
That would make the partnership far more substantial than a conventional boot sponsorship.
For Mbappe, it could provide greater commercial control and long-term financial upside, while the mystery company would immediately gain one of football’s most recognisable global figures.
While this does not necessarily change the situation directly for Los Blancos, it involves one of their biggest names.
Mbappe looks set for a market-defining sponsor change, and it remains to be seen who the mystery company is.
Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid
Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images
New manager Jose Mourinho has been working with a much-marginalised squad for his first pre-season back at Real Madrid.
The Portuguese tactician has used quite a lot of Castilla players to make up the numbers during pre-season so far, with Alexis Ciria particularly catching the eye.
Now, according to Defensa Central, Jose is set to have his Real Madrid squad virtually complete from 10 August, with several of the club’s biggest names returning from their post-World Cup break.
Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni and Ibrahima Konate are all expected to be back at Valdebebas on Monday, with Marc Cucurella set to join a day or two later.
Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid
Mourinho to soon have a full strength Real Madrid squad. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
The timing is important because Madrid are approaching the final stretch of pre-season.
New signing Yan Diomande and the injured Thibaut Courtois have already been working individually at the training ground while waiting for the rest of the squad from Hungary.
That means Jose will finally be able to work with almost the entire squad together rather than building around bits and pieces.
Mbappe, Bellingham, Tchouameni and Konate are due to undergo medical checks before returning to full training.
Cucurella, who had a longer summer after Spain’s World Cup triumph, is expected to undergo the same and link up with the squad later this week.
Their return should give Mourinho far more clarity ahead of the remaining friendlies against Deportivo La Coruna and Schalke 04, both of which will be valuable tests before the league campaign begins.
Until now, Mourinho has been forced to experiment heavily because so many first-team players were unavailable.
Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid
Mourinho will be keen on have new signings at his disposal. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
That has created opportunities for academy players and allowed the coach to test different systems, but the return of the senior internationals means the real competition for places now begins.
Players such as Bellingham, Mbappe and Tchouameni are expected to occupy major roles, while Cucurella and Konate will also strengthen a squad that has undergone significant changes this summer.
The report also stresses that Mourinho intends to set clear standards once the full squad are together.
Discipline, order and commitment are expected to be central to his approach, both on and off the pitch.
That makes the coming week especially important. Real Madrid are no longer in the experimental phase of pre-season.
It is time to start preparing for the real action to begin, and Jose will be hoping to integrate the returning stars sooner rather than later.