Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly gained the upper hand in a bitter dispute with Kylian Mbappe over alleged unpaid wages.
The France international made his long-awaited exit from the Parc des Princes on a free transfer to join Real Madrid this summer, and it was reported at the time that he had agreed to forgo a loyalty bonus in his contract.
However, Mbappe and his erstwhile club have since been locked in a heated legal battle, with the striker claiming that he is due to receive €55m (£46.4m) from the Ligue 1 champions in unpaid wages and bonuses, which has now risen to €68m (£57.4m).
PSG, on the other hand, have affirmed that the 25-year-old agreed to go without the tens of millions if he ever left the French capital on a free transfer, and the matter was subsequently taken to a committee of the Ligue de Football Professionnel.
According to Sky Sports News, the committee has suggested that the two parties agree to mediation, which represents a "significant" victory on PSG's side as they were not ordered to pay their former player.
© Imago
PSG: 'Mbappe has been afforded unprecedented benefits'
Instead, the LFP have stressed that PSG and Mbappe should resolve the issue themselves or go through a mediator, and the French champions have invited their former player to go down the latter path.
The now-Real Madrid man does not have to agree to the mediation option, though, and the report adds that he could file a claim with a French employment tribunal should he go against the club's wishes.
However, PSG's arguments and evidence were apparently recognised by the LFP, and Les Parisiens believe that Mbappe is simply trying to backtrack on a previous agreement, which was that he would not be allowed to leave for free without financial sacrifices.
In a statement, the French giants said that they were "very pleased" at the outcome of Tuesday's meeting and called on Mbappe to respect their apparent commitments after they lavished him with "unprecedented benefits".
"Paris Saint-Germain is very pleased with today's two-hour hearing before the commission. The club recalled that the player has made clear, repeated public and private commitments that must be respected, having been afforded unprecedented benefits by the club over seven fantastic years in Paris," PSG said.
© Imago
"In the light of the club's oral and documented arguments, the commission insisted on mediation between the parties, which Paris Saint-Germain has been seeking for many months. The commission has now invited the player to consider the mediation process."
Mbappe left PSG as their all-time top scorer with 256 goals in 308 matches, but his time in the French capital was also marred by never-ending speculation surrounding his future, as Les Parisiens turned away two Real Madrid bids worth over £100m in 2021.
The striker surprisingly signed a new two-year deal in 2022 with a 12-month option, but he informed the club last year that he had no intention of extending until 2025, triggering a desperate and fruitless attempt from Al-Khelaifi to sell him.
Since arriving at Real Madrid, Mbappe has scored three goals in five matches for Los Blancos, although he went without a goal in his first three La Liga games before bagging a brace in a 2-0 win over Real Betis.
Meanwhile, Luis Enrique's Mbappe-less PSG have won all three of their opening Ligue 1 games so far to sit at the top of the table.
Ben Knapton
