Mbappe rejects mediation offer in $60 million dispute with PSG

French superstar Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid rejected a mediation offer by Ligue 1's legal commission on Wednesday in his dispute with his former club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) over wages and bonuses.

Mbappe left PSG for Real as a free agent this summer but said that the French powerhouse still owes him 55 million euros (about $60.5 million) in unpaid salaries for three months and the final third of a loyalty bonus.

Mbappe previously asked the commission to get involved. His representative met with PSG officials in Paris.

"The eventuality of a mediation was mentioned this morning," Mbappe's side said in a statement. "This possibility was rejected during the meeting by the player's representative. A mediation would be useless to record a lack of payment that would be seen from a simple analysis of the player's payslip."

"The Commission has now invited the player to consider the mediation process," a PSG spokesperson said. They argued that, according to an agreement ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, Mbappe allegedly stipulated that he would relinquish bonuses over his reintegration into the team. He was sidelined during that time after deciding not to prolong his contract with the club.

Mbappe has scored all-time-leading 256 goals and delivered 108 assists in 308 games for PSG in seven years, helping the club win six Ligue 1 championships and four Coupe de France titles among other trophies. The two sides didn't break on the best terms this summer. PSG were disappointed by his decision to leave after signing the most lucrative deal in club history with him in 2022. Mbappe was upset because he felt the team failed to keep the promise of signing key players to stay competitive.

Though Mbappe's side didn't say what action they will take after rejecting mediation, the deadlock may be settled by an employment court.