Labour Markets

In the spring of 2024, Keleanne Mbappe became the most valuable free agent in the history of professional football. The French striker had been the top scorer at the most recent World Cup, the captain of his national team, and the public face of his club Paris Saint-Germain. The transfer fee for an out-of-contract player would be zero. The signing on bonus would be everything. Real Madrid had been chasing Mbappe since he was 11 years old. When the club invited him to train with their under-12 teams. Paris Saint-Germain had spent four years and reportedly more than 100 million pounds in signing bonuses to keep him in Paris. Each suitor was making a separate bid for the same player, and the bidding was visible enough that every team knew where the other sat.