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Kylian Mbappe - An ATG in the making?

Watched him for the first time against Netherlands recently and he looked superb even against a weak Netherlands team.

Pace, strength and knows where the goal is.

What a talent.
 
He's making his PSG debut at the moment. It's 1-1 against Metz at half-time.
 
Mbappe scores on debut, very soon after Assou-Ekotto was sent off for a challenge on him.
 
Ran circles around the ARG defense, looked at ease and delivered when it mattered.

World class player performance
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A superstar has arrived on the international stage - Kylian Mbappé <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FRA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FRA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldCup</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FRAARG?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FRAARG</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1013088885839187968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mbappe is donating his entire international match fees to charity, because he feels he should not be paid to represent his country.<br><br>He is a patron of the Preiers de Cordees association, a charity which helps organise sports activities for children with disabilities.</p>— Fuad Alakbarov ⁠⁠ (@DrAlakbarov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrAlakbarov/status/1013083962481233923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Love this photo.. it’s great to have that hero and someone who inspires you.. <br>but it’s about going out there and making your own name on the World stage.. <br><br>I’m sure young kids will now have <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mbappe?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mbappe</a> posters up on their wall &#55357;&#56399;&#55356;&#57341; <a href="https://t.co/0VggXOIETD">pic.twitter.com/0VggXOIETD</a></p>— Alex Scott MBE (@AlexScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexScott/status/1013098560613769216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">30 June 2018</a></blockquote>
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His performance today was scary! What a talent.

Ronaldo and Messi can be contained but it's near impossible to contain someone with so much pace. He made Usain Bolt look slow today.

There is no doubt he will end up as an ATG.
 
He has every attribute. Would prefer to see him play as a striker rather than out wide.

Think he will surpass Henry and will win the ballan dor 1 day.
 
I think it is way too early to tell but his intensity and pace against Argentina was so fascinating to watch. It was like seeing a young Ronaldo (both of them).

My only concern is that in the modern game, he will not be allowed to develop his natural striking ability and they'll try and turn him into some combination of goal scorer and play maker (as every striker is supposed to be these days..urgh).

If he can play up front, unhindered with all that other rubbish, ala Henry in the second half of his career then he could be a phenom.
 
That dive earlier by Mbappe... :facepalm:

Is there no player who can get by without this nonsense?
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We're all just living in Kylian Mbappe's world 🌎🇫🇷 <a href="https://t.co/M9FcCswskY">pic.twitter.com/M9FcCswskY</a></p>— Dream Team (@dreamteamfc) <a href="https://twitter.com/dreamteamfc/status/1049200833932537856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Kylian Mbappe and Paris St-Germain's "shared history will continue next season", say the French champions.

France World Cup winner Mbappe won the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award on Sunday and hinted in his acceptance speech about "a new project elsewhere".

When asked to clarify the comments, the 20-year-old said: "I said what I had to say."

In a statement, PSG said "very strong links unite the club and Mbappe", who signed from Monaco in 2017.

Having initially joined on a season-long loan, the deal was made permanent for a fee of around £166m, making him the second most expensive player in history behind team-mate Neymar.

He has scored 59 goals in 86 games for PSG, winning two league titles and one French Cup, but they were knocked out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage by Manchester United.

Mbappe is the top scorer in Ligue 1 this season with 32 goals.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48340995
 
Former Liverpool defender explains the one problem with Kylian Mbappe making potential transfer

The potential of Kylian Mbappe to Liverpool is a story which dates back to before he arrived at Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.

The French World Cup winner was already earmarked as the next big thing even back then whilst he was at Monaco but it was PSG who jumped to sign him for £166 million.

You would think that the story ends there but Mbappe scored at Anfield in a 3-2 win for PSG over Liverpool in the Champions League the following year, with Jurgen Klopp embracing the forward after the final whistle.

If that wasn’t enough for Liverpool fans to dream, the events that unfolded this summer meant the desire to sign Mbappe reached fever pitch.

There was Klopp hailing the 20-year-old, a meeting with minority Liverpool stakeholder and NBA star LeBron James, that FIFA 20 admission and the club’s Nike kit deal (Mbappe’s sponsor).

Whilst Klopp has done his best to ‘kill’ the story, #Mbappe2020 was trending in October after the kit announcement and former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock is one of the pundits who doesn’t believe the dreams are fanciful.

"I just think because of the way Liverpool have elevated themselves in the last couple of years under Jurgen Klopp, people are now putting stories together linking them with the best players in the world," Warnock, who was speaking on behalf of GentingBet, told the ECHO.

"Let's be honest, why wouldn't they want to play under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool? The atmosphere is incredible and so is the manager.

"They have reached two Champions League finals in the last two seasons and a Europa League final not long before that. It's very appealing to go to Liverpool at the moment.

"Would Mbappe go to Liverpool? You know what, why wouldn't he come? Why wouldn't he want to play against the best players in the Premier League and really test himself?

"I think the one problem we face over here with players like that is they often feel like they can only win the Ballon d'Or if they go to Real Madrid or Barcelona. Why can't there be a shift? Why can't there be a Premier League team who dominates Europe for a number of years?

"He is obviously a player who you would love to see in the Premier League. I would love to see him at Liverpool. Whether it will happen or not, I'm not so sure. That's only something he would answer.

"It will also depend on the form of Barcelona and Real Madrid. If he feels that those sides are not close to winning the Champions League, then maybe that's something he might look at."

Warnock added that the main reason why Liverpool have become associated with landing some of the best players in the world is because of the manager.

"Everyone who comes to the club always talks about how Jurgen Klopp was the main reason why they came," Warnock added. "They know the history and what that's about but they come for the manager and he has now won a trophy.

"Players know if they are going to go and play for Klopp that they are going to enjoy their football. That comes from Jurgen Klopp.

"No disrespect but if five or ten years ago it was Roy Hodgson picking up the phone, you wouldn't be as interested in signing for the club. Now there is one of the best managers in football picking up the phone.

"The stadium, the infrastructure, the academy and the Anfield Road plan coming to fruition. It is all progressive stuff. They are all positive things. Klopp has definitely got a big pulling power and so has the club now."
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....erpool-fc-transfer-kylian-mbappe-17345383.amp
 
Liverpool getting Mbappe is as fanciful as Man United winning the league this season.

No player from a major world club will be moving to a Liverpool type side unless the said player experiences a dip in form and is being let go.

Put it simply. While Liverpool as a football club under Klopp may have all the attractions in the world for a player it just isn’t a major world city like Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Munich, London or Milan. Or even second tier European cities like Manchester or Turin.
 
Slog said:
Liverpool getting Mbappe is as fanciful as Man United winning the league this season.

No player from a major world club will be moving to a Liverpool type side unless the said player experiences a dip in form and is being let go.

Put it simply. While Liverpool as a football club under Klopp may have all the attractions in the world for a player it just isn’t a major world city like Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Munich, London or Milan. Or even second tier European cities like Manchester or Turin.
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Not all players want to play in capital cities. Or have you read Mbappe's mind?

Liverpool have been linked with him for a while now. We are the Champions of Europe, one of the best teams in the world and a huge club worldwide. Klopp has spoken to him with reports coming back he was very impressed. Many big name players have been linked from various big European clubs but you're not in England or a LFC fan.

This only issue for Liverpool is the immense price tag PSG would want esp with over 2 years left on his contract. As a fan, I would rather use 200 million on a 2/3 world class players. Putting so much into one player can cause problems in the squad.
 
KingKhanWC said:
Not all players want to play in capital cities. Or have you read Mbappe's mind?

Liverpool have been linked with him for a while now. We are the Champions of Europe, one of the best teams in the world and a huge club worldwide. Klopp has spoken to him with reports coming back he was very impressed. Many big name players have been linked from various big European clubs but you're not in England or a LFC fan.

This only issue for Liverpool is the immense price tag PSG would want esp with over 2 years left on his contract. As a fan, I would rather use 200 million on a 2/3 world class players. Putting so much into one player can cause problems in the squad.
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You are free to feel what you want as a fan but name me the last time a genuinely word class player came to Liverpool FC from a big side? Probably Torres but even then Atlético aren’t a top tier club especially back then before Simeone.

Besides even in footballing terms, Real Madrid hold more prestige than Liverpool even right now and that is where he most likely will go if and when he leaves PSG.
 
Mbappe will likely go to Real or even Barca, if he leaves PSG. Other teams come way way down the pecking order.
 
Slog said:
You are free to feel what you want as a fan but name me the last time a genuinely word class player came to Liverpool FC from a big side? Probably Torres but even then Atlético aren’t a top tier club especially back then before Simeone.

Besides even in footballing terms, Real Madrid hold more prestige than Liverpool even right now and that is where he most likely will go if and when he leaves PSG.
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Football isn't held within parameters. Virgil was seen as a future ATG, best defender in the world when at Southampton. He chose Liverpool above other top clubs inc City and Chelsea.

Premier League and English football is not like any other in the world. If you mean prestige in winning European Cups, yes Madrid is ahead and also in the recent past having world class players or worldwide following sure. But Spain doesn't have anywhere near the teams we have in England. We have thousands attending what is division 4, full house, while La Liga sees empty stadiums. The point being if England had 2 powerhouses say Liverpool and Utd, both clubs would have won more than Real and Barca.

There is no argument to this topic. Mbappe has spoken to Klopp for hours, which means he's interested. Liverpool cant afford him and again I wouldn't want to pay £200M , way too much imo.
 
Liverpool is unlikely to have the means to spend the amount needed to buy someone like Mbappe.

On top of that bigger clubs like Madrid and Barca are interested.

And Mbappe is likely to join his countryman in Madrid and help him win his 4th CL.
 
Mbappe plan is to join Real Madrid eventually. Liverpool don't have the finances to recruit him anyway.
 
Hasan123 said:
Mbappe plan is to join Real Madrid eventually. Liverpool don't have the finances to recruit him anyway.
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Neither the finances nor the same status as Madrid.

Liverpool is a great club, no doubt, just that Madrid Barca are in a different league.
 
Paris St-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe has described Liverpool as "a machine" as they aim to clinch their first league title since 1990, and has told BBC Sport he is "100%" happy in the French capital as he continues to be linked with Real Madrid.

Liverpool have also been linked with Mbappe - regarded by many as the best young player in the world - despite manager Jurgen Klopp saying the striker is out of his club's price range.

And while the 21-year-old World Cup winner, who joined PSG in 2017 in a transfer worth £165.7m, reaffirmed his commitment to his current club at the launch of his charity, 'Inspired by Kylian Mbappe (IBKM)', he says he watches Liverpool's title charge with admiration.

"What Liverpool do in this moment is amazing," Mbappe said. "They're like a machine, they've found a rhythm and are like 'we play again, we play again'.

"They've lost zero games. When you watch you think everything's easy but that's not easy. The guys are focused, they play games every three days and they win, they win, they win.

"Now the problem is that everybody watches Liverpool, and everybody watches what we can do against them, so now they have to show they are strong again but it's a very good team with a very good manager."

'Real Madrid talk not good for PSG'
Mbappe grabbed the attention of Premier League clubs by scoring twice as Monaco knocked Manchester City out of the Champions League in 2016-17.

That summer he joined PSG, initially on a season-long loan, before being named best young player as he helped France win the 2018 World Cup.

This season he is aiming to help PSG win a third straight French title but has repeatedly been linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

"Everyone talks about it - when I was young I talked about it too," said Mbappe. "But now I'm a player and I know it's not the moment.

"We are in January - it's the money time of the season. Imagine I answer your question and say something. Everybody will talk about it and it's not good for PSG.

"Now I'm with PSG and I'm 100% with the club. I want to help the club grow this season, to win a lot of titles, so for me it's not good to talk about [my future].

"I think about the club because the club helped me. I came here at 18. I was a talent but I was not a superstar. Now I'm a superstar, thanks to PSG and the French national team.

"I have to stay calm and stay focused on PSG. After that, at the end of the season, we will see. But now I'm focused on my game."

Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Messi? Who is the world's most valuable football star?
Mbappe targets rare treble
As well as winning Ligue 1 this year, Mbappe hopes to help PSG win the Champions League for the first time, and win Euro 2020 and the Olympic Games with France.

Asked what was on his wish-list for 2020, he said: "It would be a treble of Champions League, European Championship and Olympic Games. That wouldn't be bad.

"That seems unattainable for the time being but I'm going to make sure I fulfil this dream. It would be a proud moment to be able to win the first European [Cup] for PSG and for our country to keep winning."

Mbappe's charity was set up to help 98 children - a nod to his birth year - between the ages of nine and 16 from various social backgrounds to accomplish "their dreams".

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/51184842
 
Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe will stay at the Ligue 1 club next season, club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said, responding to media speculation about the French international's future.

Mbappe, who scored 42 goals in all competitions for PSG this season, has a contract at the French club until June 2022 but has been linked with a move to La Liga's Real Madrid.

"I will be clear, Mbappe is going to stay in Paris," Al-Khelaifi told L'Equipe. "We will never sell him and he will never leave on a free (transfer). Mbappe has everything he needs in Paris.

Reuters
 
Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe will stay at the Ligue 1 club next season, club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said, responding to media speculation about the French international's future.
 
Real Madrid have made a £137m bid to sign Paris St-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.

The French World Cup winner, 22, joined PSG in 2017 in a transfer worth £165.7m and his contract expires in June 2022.

Mbappe has scored 133 goals in 174 games for PSG and won three Ligue 1 titles and three French Cups.

Real Madrid, who have much publicised financial issues, have only signed defender David Alaba on a free transfer from Bayern Munich this summer.

However, high earners Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane have moved on, to PSG and Manchester United respectively, and Real evidently feel sufficiently confident about their finances to make an approach for one of the most highly-rated players in the world.

It is not known how the fee would be structured.

PSG, who have not yet responded to the bid, signed Argentina forward Lionel Messi earlier this month after he left Barcelona.

If Real are successful, it could trigger a number of deals before the transfer deadline.

It is known Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Juventus is uncertain and PSG are thought to be interested in the Portuguese, which raises the intriguing possibility of a link-up with Messi, his rival for the world's best player for well over a decade.

Manchester City are among the clubs to have been offered Ronaldo but are not thought to be interested in a deal.

Last week both Ronaldo and Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri denied the forward wanted to leave.
 
Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo says the club have turned down Real Madrid's €160m (£137m) bid for Kylian Mbappe despite the player making it clear he wants to leave.
The France World Cup winner, 22, joined PSG from fellow Ligue 1 club Monaco for £166m in 2017 and is out of contract next summer.

Mbappe has won three Ligue 1 titles and three French Cups at the Parc des Princes.

"Yes, we said no verbally to Real," Leonardo told RMC Sport. "No one is being held back. If someone wants to leave and our conditions are met, we'll see.
 
BREAKING: Real Madrid have made a second bid of €170m to PSG for Kylian Mbappe.
 
Kylian Mbappe feels he is being kept at Paris Saint-Germain against his will amid bids from Real Madrid.

Real Madrid have made an offer of €170m (£145.6m) plus €10m (£8.6m) in add-ons for the France international forward and given PSG a deadline of midnight on Sunday to respond.

Mbappe believes PSG promised him they would let him go if they received what they paid for him (€180m/£154m) and are now going back on their word.
 
Kylian Mbappe's move from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid is hanging in the balance.

Sunday night's deadline for PSG to respond to Madrid's €170m (£145.75m) plus €10m (£8.57m) offer came and went with no reply.

Madrid are now willing to wait until 5pm UK time on Monday for a response.

Anything past that and it will become more and more difficult for a deal to be done, especially because Mbappe is due to be with the France squad at Clairefontaine.
 
Kylian Mbappe is now unlikely to move to Real Madrid in this summer transfer window after Paris Saint-Germain failed to reply to their £171.6m (€200m) offer on Monday.

The Spanish club made a second improved bid of £145.8m (€170m) plus £8.57m (€10m) in add-ons and set PSG a deadline to respond by 5pm UK time.
 
Mbappe definitely has the the talent to get into that ATG list but I have my doubts. Atm, Haaland seems to be mentally tougher than him.

Moreover, instead of moving to a declining league like La Liga, Mbappe should wait in PSG until he gets an offer from English or German club.
 
Paris Saint-Germain have rejected a bid in excess of €220m from Real Madrid for Kylian Mbappe. A world record transfer fee. They could/will lose Mbappe as a free agent next year. A first-team squad of over 30 players. Money is not and never will be remotely relevant to them.
 
Real Madrid were willing to pay £189m for Kylian Mbappe, but PSG failed to respond to their bid; Real will now focus on signing a pre-contract agreement with the forward in January; Mbappe's PSG deal expires at the end of the season, when he will be able to join Real on a free transfer
 
Well according to Mbappe he was apparently promised by PSG that. He can leave if a bid equal to what PSG paid for him arrived. RM went far above that.

Being owned by a country means PSG doesn't need money, but if they pull this kind of stuff, in future players will think twice before going to PSG. Ligue 1 is a avg league and the only thing PSG can offer is money.

Sooner rather than later, PSG and ligue 1 will have to follow the FFP like other clubs and these kinds of stunts from the past will haunt PSG.
 
So he will stay at PSG for the season and can then walk away for nothing next summer.

Great business for Real Madrid.
 
Saj said:
So he will stay at PSG for the season and can then walk away for nothing next summer.

Great business for Real Madrid.
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Poor from PSG. And that tweet of the Qatari royal doesn't help.
 
PSG had to choose between letting Mbappé go to Madrid and get 200M€, or force him to stay, maximise their chances to win the UCL, and then see him leave the club for free next year.

At the end of the day, Mbappé will definitely be a Real Madrid player one day, and PSG have just delayed the inevitable.

Madrid will be the club where Mbappé will become the best player in the world once Messi and Ronaldo are gone.
 
Waleed93 said:
PSG had to choose between letting Mbappé go to Madrid and get 200M€, or force him to stay, maximise their chances to win the UCL, and then see him leave the club for free next year.

At the end of the day, Mbappé will definitely be a Real Madrid player one day, and PSG have just delayed the inevitable.

Madrid will be the club where Mbappé will become the best player in the world once Messi and Ronaldo are gone.
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I don't think La Liga is the right place for him. Its a league that least rewards pace which is Mbappe's most lethal attribute. He will thrive in PL specially under klopp or Tuchel. Even Bayern is a better choice.
 
Greenstorm said:
I don't think La Liga is the right place for him. Its a league that least rewards pace which is Mbappe's most lethal attribute. He will thrive in PL specially under klopp or Tuchel. Even Bayern is a better choice.
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Mbappé's strongest attribute is his pace indeed, but he is overall quite a complete player capable of dribbling on 1v1 situations, passing and creating chances for his teammates.

It's not even a question about his abiliy anymore, he dreamt about playing for Real Madrid one day since his childhood, and like the best players do, he will become the best player in the world in his dream club.
 
Kylian Mbappe has criticised Paris Saint-Germain for their handling of his failed transfer to Real Madrid and said he informed the club of his desire to leave in July.
 
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has hinted the Spanish club may reach a deal to sign Kylian Mbappe on January 1.

Mbappe's contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of the season - and Madrid tried to sign him before the current campaign began, only to have their offers turned down.

The forward's contract situation means he can negotiate with other teams from January 1, 2022.
 
Kylian Mbappe could still change his mind and stay at Paris Saint-Germain, says boss Mauricio Pochettino

Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino still believes Kylian Mbappe could "change his mind" and stay at the club.

France striker Mbappe recently confirmed he asked to leave in the summer in pursuit of a move to Real Madrid, but PSG have been trying to tie him down to a new deal, with his current deal expiring next summer.

It was hoped the signing of Lionel Messi on a free transfer from Barcelona, completing a front three with Neymar, would help convince Mbappe to recommit to the club, but a new deal is not currently close to being agreed.

"Kylian will make the decision that he has to make," Pochettino told El Chiringuito in Spain. "The club will do everything possible to keep him. PSG can convince him to stay. He could change his mind."

Real were prepared to spend £197m to sign the France World Cup winner in the summer but PSG refused to agree a sale, despite the forward's contract running out at the end of the season.

Yet the 22-year-old, who joined PSG in 2017 in a transfer worth £165m, is able to sign a pre-contract agreement with them in January, in order to join them for free next summer.

The front three of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe have yet to fire on all cylinders - Pochettino also admitted in the interview with the Spanish TV channel that he thought being offered Messi on a free was initially a "joke".

"Leonardo called me and asked me if I would like Messi," the ex-Tottenham Hotspur boss said. "I asked him 'is that a real question?' Honestly, I thought it was a joke.

"Of course, yes. After that, things really started. Once the door opened, I think that he decided to come here."

Pochettino is sweating over the availability of his South American players for Friday night's Ligue 1 clash with Angers due to their involvement in late international matches this week. His side are top of the table after nine games.

https://www.skysports.com/football/...s-saint-germain-says-boss-mauricio-pochettino
 
France striker Kylian Mbappe, 22, will not sign a new contract with Paris St-Germain regardless of how much money the Ligue 1 side offer him as he is determined to join Real Madrid. (AS)
 
Real Madrid are very close to signing France forward Kylian Mbappe, 23, from Paris St-Germain, and he will join on a free transfer when his contract expires. (ESPN)
 
France striker Kylian Mbappe has been linked with a move to Real Madrid when his Paris St-Germain contract runs out in the summer but the 23-year-old says he has not made a decision over his future. (Amazon Prime, via Mirror)
 
When Kylian Mbappe lines up for Paris St-Germain on Tuesday against Real Madrid he will face the club he will almost certainly join when his contract expires this summer.

While nothing has been confirmed, it would be a major shock if the France striker does not end up in the white shirt he has dreamed of wearing since he was a kid.

The 23-year-old will not say anything for now - at least not until PSG's Champions League last-16 meeting with the Spanish league leaders is over. By that time, he will hope to have given Real a first-hand view of exactly what they will be getting.

Mbappe, the boy from Bondy in the suburbs seven miles from the centre of Paris, always wanted to play for PSG, but it is also true that he was probably always destined for Madrid, even though it has taken a while to get to this point.

He was wanted by Europe's elite clubs in 2017 after starring for Monaco. He chose PSG - initially joining on loan in a deal that would ultimately cost the French champions £165.7m - because it was the club of his city, the one supported by most of his friends, the most important club in France at the time.

But it was only ever likely to be a stop in his career. Mbappe admired Cristiano Ronaldo and grew up watching his role model starring for Real. It helps that Mbappe is that rare breed of player who, like the Portuguese, can cope with the intense pressure that comes with being the star name for one of the world's great clubs.

At 19, having just scored in the final as France won the 2018 World Cup, Mbappe gave an interview in which his mentality became clear. "This is just the start," he said. "I am here to make history."

If he carries on with his current form it is difficult to see how he won't make a huge impact as the main man at the Bernabeu.

Other players have tried and failed to take on the mantle from Ronaldo, who left in 2018 after winning four Champions Leagues in nine years in the Spanish capital. Eden Hazard, whom many thought was destined to do just that, was never strong enough to be anything more than just a fine player on that stage. The extra pressure demanded of superstars not just on the pitch but also as leaders off it can take its toll.

But Mbappe is different. The pursuit of excellence determines that being good will never be enough for him. What he craves - and what Real can potentially give him - is the opportunity to show he is the best of the best.

Like so many of the best young players today, Mbappe has surrounded himself with family members who conduct much of his business. Team Mbappe is a family organisation, although, unlike some others, all the important decisions are made by Kylian himself.

His parents, Wilfried Mbappe and Fayza Lamari, separated several months ago but are both nonetheless employed in running various aspects of his life. Fayza dedicates her days to looking after her son and prefers to maintain some anonymity. It was his dad who accompanied Kylian to the recent Ballon d'Or awards in Paris.

There, I saw a young man unable to contain his smile when being photographed and sharing space with PSG team-mate Lionel Messi and Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski. He felt, with good reason, he belonged there. As his mother tells him: "We come from Bondy and if you don't have confidence in yourself, who is going to have it in your place? There is no glass ceiling."

According to his mother, speaking recently in a rare interview with Le Parisien newspaper, last summer her son took the decision to move to Real to "realise his dream and create history. Kylian wants to be at the centre of a sports project. He needs constant challenges."

But PSG refused to let him go. Mbappe himself felt he was at a crossroads and was uncertain what to do. His father sided with him staying, while his mother thought maybe it was time to leave. They discussed it together and in the end the easiest solution was to stay until his contract expires this summer. As always, it was Mbappe who had the last word.

The nature of the sporting project, rather than the size of the pay packet, has always been his main motivating factor. He has never been a big spender and has an interesting relationship with money - he never has a credit card or cash on him. Sometimes his mum asks him to take 200 euros with him, to which he replies: "No need, I'm just going to play football."

Mbappe alternates his life between his father and his mother and has a real need to be close to them, but he also has his own apartment, so has grown up significantly in recent years.

Mum takes care of the legal side of things, of his image, of communication and PR, and any other big projects away from football that he wishes to put in place (some related to helping his home town of Bondy develop). Dad takes care of all things football - talking to agents, to PSG director of football Leonardo, to other presidents. Florentino Perez, Real Madrid's top man, has got Mbappe's father's phone number.

The importance of family was there for all to see on the day he joined PSG in 2017. All of them were there, including his 15-year-old brother Ethan. They arrived together and were sat in the front row and exchanged smiles and looks with Kylian. Wilfried, with a smart dark suit, had the aura of an important person and spoke with the club's chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi. Fayza kept a discreet place in the proceedings.

Football runs in the family and on 25 June 2021 Ethan signed an "aspiring" contract with PSG in a deal lasting until 2024. Asked if Kylian's career impacts on that of his little brother, their mother replied: "Of course. For Ethan, the name is already taken. It is impossible to avoid being the brother of Kylian Mbappe."

Soon, though, Ethan is likely to be the only Mbappe on PSG's books.

Perhaps ironically, if and when Mbappe does move to Real - the traditional home of the Galacticos - he will have less competition for the title of the team's central figure than he does in Paris.

At PSG he vies for that accolade with Messi and Neymar. The primary job of PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino has been to ensure harmony exists and on that front he has been very successful. It is not an easy brief - there is an innate difficulty in fostering a team mentality with three anarchic, creative geniuses.

In order to maintain that harmony, all three have to play when fit. But putting those three footballers together into a coherent team structure is an almost impossible challenge.

With a player like Mbappe you need a team that can play with a high rhythm and attack spaces. With Messi you have to give him freedom, play to a slower tempo, build from the back, have the players close together and effectively organise your team around him. And if you have Neymar, with all his genius to beat defenders, you need a team that allows him to do his thing, often unpredictable, and be alert to those moments when he loses the ball. The manager has to put all that together.

Despite being 13 points clear at the top of Ligue 1 there has been criticism of PSG's performances this season, but Mbappe has said publicly how well he gets on with Pochettino. The doubts surrounding his future, and the confusion that creates in a young mind, could have compromised his ability - or willingness - to focus on the team. But he has probably been PSG's best player.

After a Covid and injury-affected 2020-21 campaign and after a wobbly start this term, Mbappe is enjoying an excellent season, arguably the best of his career. In 28 league and Champions League matches he has scored 16 goals and provided 10 assists, team-best figures in both categories. His latest goal was a late winner against Rennes on Friday.

Indeed, some commentators in Paris think he has become too big for PSG and a move is necessary to fulfil his ambitions.

When Messi joined last summer, Mbappe was initially worried about how the connection that the Argentina legend and Neymar have had for years would impact on him. But he soon realised it is not as intense as it was when the pair were at Barcelona and it is Mbappe who has gone on to become the major influence in the PSG side this season.

His strength, both physical and mental, coupled with the absence of Neymar because of injury, have led to him becoming the focal point of the team and, should the Brazilian return to the starting line-up, it is the more experienced man who will have to adapt.

Mbappe has played more minutes than the other PSG superstars and as a consequence the side are more comfortable playing to his strengths. In training he looks a cut above everyone and in big games, even if he does not start, he has been their most consistent performer alongside Marquinhos. There is little doubt Mbappe ranks as one of the top five players in the world.

If he does have a weakness it is that he sometimes tries to do everything rather than limit himself to doing those things he does best, such as leading the line. But this season he has become a leader. He still has his own targets, but he has shown he looks at the bigger picture and, despite those earlier doubts, he has made a big effort to help Messi.

After Neymar's injury, the other two star players found a connection. Mbappe scored against RB Leipzig, then handed over the taking of a penalty to Messi. At the end of that match Mbappe said: "My mission is to get him to help us this season."

Against Club Bruges in the last group game Mbappe scored two goals before assisting Messi for the first of his two. Against Lille earlier this month they both scored in moves that involved each other.

An illustration of his growing maturity is that Mbappe has not felt isolated by the huge amount of Spanish spoken in the PSG changing room and, when I spoke to him when visiting Paris for the arrival of Messi, I was staggered to have a perfect conversation with him - in Spanish.

Nothing happens by chance in the world of Mbappe, either on or off the pitch. I later found out that languages have always been a passion of his and, in addition to learning Spanish at school, he has also been having private lessons for more than a year.

In a recent interview France legend Thierry Henry teased him, asking why he spoke Spanish in the dressing room, to which he replied: "If you want to be a world star then you shouldn't limit yourself to just speaking French."

Those Spanish lessons might come in handy on the pitch against Real Madrid this week - and they could prove even more valuable come the summer.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/60346116
 
France striker Kylian Mbappe, 23, is believed to have had his head turned when it comes to moving to Liverpool after being underwhelmed by Real Madrid's display during their Champions League match with Paris St-Germain. (Sport, via Star)

However, PSG are ready to make Mbappe the world's highest-paid player with a basic wage of close to £1m a week to stop him from leaving. (Independent)
 
Real Madrid still are confident of signing France striker Kylian Mbappe, 23, on a free transfer from Paris St-Germain and plan to announce the deal at the end of the season. (Goal)
 
Paris St-Germain have offered 23-year-old France striker Kylian Mbappe, whose contract with them runs out in the summer, 150m euros (£125m) for two seasons to stay with them. (Guillem Balague)
 
Paris St-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino says both he and forward Kylian Mbappe will "100%" be at the club next season.

Pochettino's future has been questioned after his side were knocked out of the Champions League in the last 16.

That speculation comes despite the Argentine leading PSG - who he joined in 2021 - to the Ligue 1 title.

France striker Mbappe is out of contract in the summer and has long been linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Asked of the likelihood of him and Mbappe being at Parc des Princes next season, Pochettino said: "100% in both cases.

"That is how I feel today. That is what I can say to you today. I can't say anything else. That is how I feel right now.

"This is football and we never know what might happen. But I have to answer the question based on how I feel today. And that is what I have done."

However, Pochettino said there have been no official discussions with the club about his future.

"There haven't been any concrete talks, beyond what is normal in terms of our plans and what we have been doing so far," he said.

"We have a natural relationship. We communicate depending on the circumstances at the time.

"But the relationship and communication are good. We keep working hard, not just bearing in mind the present, but also with the responsibility in this job which is to think about the future. So that is what we are doing."

BBC
 
Kylian Mbappe is on the brink of signing a two-year contract extension with Paris St-Germain worth £42.5m a year, plus an £85m signing-on fee for the 23-year-old France forward.

However, Mbappe's mother says her son is continuing talks about his future with PSG "in great serenity".
 
170 million pounds for 2 years of work —

That would be nice!
 
Real Madrid are "more confident than ever" they can set out a deal to secure France and Paris St-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, but the 23-year-old has yet to decide where his future lies. (Fabrizio Romano)
 
Real Madrid expect Kylian Mbappe decision over transfer within weeks, says Guillem Balague

Real Madrid are confident Kylian Mbappe will announce his decision to join them from Paris St-Germain within the next fortnight, reports Spanish football expert Guillem Balague.

The 23-year-old's contract expires this summer and BBC Sport reported in April he had agreed terms with Real Madrid.

PSG were prepared to offer the forward a 150m euros signing-on fee to keep him at the club for another two seasons.

But the La Liga champions expect him to make his decision public shortly.

Mbappe is set to join up with his France team-mates for Nations League games at the start of June and the Spanish club anticipate an announcement from him before then.

"Real Madrid are confident the terms agreed in the past will be respected, even though he tried to change them a bit when PSG came up with a huge offer of a 150m euros signing-on fee," said Balague.

"Since then, the things that needed to be finalised are the image rights and other things related to the contract but Madrid insist the personal terms have been respected.

"They are confident that when he comes out with his decision before he joins up with France, it will be to say he is going to Real Madrid. Every time there has been a news story coming from PSG, the message from Real Madrid has been 'don't worry'."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61473632
 
Kylian Mbappe: PSG forward expected to announce decision to join Real Madrid soon

Paris Saint-Germain are exhausting every avenue to retain Kylian Mbappe, but the expectation is he will soon confirm his decision to become Real Madrid's marquee signing.

The French champions have offered the 23-year-old a pay package understood to be double his current terms and around £4m a month, making him the highest earner in the game.

An extension would also secure a mammoth signing-on figure in the region of £100m, and includes concessions over image rights as well as bonuses for goals, Ballon d'Or honours, and Champions League success.

PSG are aware Mbappe would earn significantly less at Real and that finances are not driving his decision.

They have spent 18 months trying to convince him that he is the "heartbeat" of the club, their most prized asset, and the player they consider the representation of what they want to stand for: born in Paris, a global phenomenon, an unstoppable force in the game.

https://www.skysports.com/football/...to-announce-decision-to-join-real-madrid-soon
 
France forward Kylian Mbappe has agreed in principle to stay at Paris St-Germain.

The 2018 World Cup winner, 23, had been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid but has committed his future to the French champions.

Mbappe will sign a lucrative new contract with PSG.

The deal is still to be signed but PSG are likely to make an announcement around their final game of the season with Metz on Saturday evening.

According to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, writing last month, PSG were prepared to offer him a 150m euro signing-on fee to keep him for another two seasons.

Mbappe had agreed a financial package with Real months ago for a potential switch to Spain, but has decided not to join Carlo Ancelotti's side.

He initially joined PSG on a season-long loan from Monaco in August 2017 and has helped them win four Ligue 1 titles in five seasons.

The Qatari-owned side were desperate to keep him and were prepared to offer the player a £21m net annual salary.

Mbappe scored in each leg against Real in the Champions League last 16 this season, but it was not enough to prevent PSG from going out 3-2 on aggregate.

He is Ligue 1's leading scorer with 25 goals and provided a further 17 assists in 34 games as PSG won the domestic title with four games to spare.

PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino had said on Friday he had no idea where Mbappe would play his club football next season.

"I hope Kylian is still here for many years to come but I also can't lie. I don't know what is going to happen," said the former Tottenham boss.

"There are lots of rumours going around but the player is the one who will have to talk about this."

BBC
 
Intresting move , suppose hes still young and will try and win the Champions League with PSG, when his contract is up for renewel next time around he will still have his prime years ahead of him.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: LaLiga have released a statement announcing they will file a complaint against Paris Saint-Germain over Kylian Mbappe's new contract... &#55357;&#56384; <a href="https://t.co/Ymjf0YlJpd">pic.twitter.com/Ymjf0YlJpd</a></p>— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1528089842374041602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
The top football league in Spain - LaLiga - has described a new deal Paris Saint-Germain have given to striker Kylian Mbappe as "scandalous".

Referring to the French club's recent losses - which LaLiga said amounted to more than €220m (£186m) last season - the Spanish league said the deal puts "sporting integrity at risk".

Mbappe becomes the highest-paid player in world football, Sky Sports reported.

He will be on wages of around £1m a week after pocketing a signing-on fee in the region of £100m.

PSG have also made concessions on image rights, and Mbappe is in line to receive bonus payments for goals, Ballon d'Or honours and Champions League success.

The 23-year-old France international had been widely expected to leave the Ligue 1 champions for Real Madrid at the end of the season when his existing deal expired on 30 June.

Real, who were willing to pay €230m (£194m) to sign the forward on deadline day last summer, were ready to give Mbappe a signing-on fee of £110m and wages of £20m-a-year after tax.

LaLiga said it would "file a complaint against PSG before UEFA, the French administrative and fiscal authorities and European Union authorities to continue to defend the economic ecosystem of European football and its sustainability".

It added: "This type of agreement attacks the economic sustainability of European football, putting at risk hundreds of thousands of jobs and sporting integrity at risk.

"It is scandalous a club like PSG, which last season reported losses of more than €220m, after accumulating losses of more than €700m in prior seasons (while reporting sponsorship income at a doubtful valuation) with a cost of sports staff around €650m for this 2021-22 season, can face an agreement of these characteristics while those clubs that could accept the arrival of the player without seeing their wage bill compromised, are left without being able to sign him."

Mbappe said he was "delighted to continue to play in France, the country where I was born, where I have grown up and where I have made my name".

PSG chairman and CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi said: "Kylian's commitment to PSG represents an amazing milestone in the history of our club, and a wonderful moment for our fans around the world."

Mbappe was presented on the pitch ahead of PSG's Ligue 1 match at home to Metz - in which he scored a hat-trick.

SKY
 
That must be the most ridiculously lucrative player deal ever that Mbappe and his people have managed to swing. Astonishing numbers and terms.
 
James said:
That must be the most ridiculously lucrative player deal ever that Mbappe and his people have managed to swing. Astonishing numbers and terms.
Click to expand...

Those to be honest are just a country financing the deal. Should this be allowed? Is this good for the sports at large? While other clubs hold the FFP guidelines, one club is allowed to run amok?
 
James said:
That must be the most ridiculously lucrative player deal ever that Mbappe and his people have managed to swing. Astonishing numbers and terms.
Click to expand...

£1m a week, with a signing bonus of £100m. Really are absurd numbers.
 
James said:
That must be the most ridiculously lucrative player deal ever that Mbappe and his people have managed to swing. Astonishing numbers and terms.
Click to expand...

Especially since he will mainly be playing against diddy teams.

It's disgusting.
 
cricketjoshila said:
You believe La Liga complaint has some substance?
Click to expand...

Not sure tbh. Don't know the ins and outs of it, I was merely commenting on the sums of money and not the technicalities.

But my gut feeling is that as the Qataris are involved there is probably some bending of the rules somewhere.
 
Kylian Mbappe says his decision to remain at Paris St-Germain was partly based on sentimental reasons - and believes there are "more wonderful chapters to write" at the club.

The France striker, 23, rejected a move to Real Madrid to sign a new three-year contract with the Ligue 1 champions at the weekend.

Spain's La Liga reacted angrily to the news, calling the deal "scandalous".

"Leaving my country isn't the right thing," Mbappe said.

"There is a sentimental aspect to this. It is my country.

"The ongoing project has changed as well. That has made me want to stay here because I don't think my story is over yet.

"That goes for me collectively and individually. I think there are many more wonderful chapters to write."

Mbappe started his career at Monaco before moving to PSG in 2017, initially on loan before joining permanently.

Since being at the club he has won four Ligue 1 titles and three French Cups.

Champions League success has so far eluded PSG but the club's president Nasser Al-Khelaifi believes that, with Mbappe now staying, European glory can be achieved.

"We want to create more trophies. We have won plenty so far, we want to win many more," he said.

"We want to win the Champions League. We are headed down the same path with our sporting goals."

There had been reports PSG offered Mbappe more control over sporting decisions in an effort to convince him to stay.

But the forward said his sole focus and responsibility for the club is what he can do on the pitch.

"I remain a footballer, who is part of a team, and I will not go beyond this role," added Mbappe.

"Everyone knows that last year I wanted to leave and I was convinced that it was the best choice, but the years go by and things change."

'Ligue 1 needs respect as well'

In its response to Mbappe's decision to stay at PSG, La Liga announced plans to file a complaint to Uefa as well as French and EU authorities.

As well as calling the deal "scandalous", La Liga president Javier Tebas said it "threatens the economic sustainability of European football".

But Al-Khelaifi responded: "Maybe it is a good thing if Ligue 1 is doing better than La Liga.

"La Liga isn't what it was three or four years ago. I have respect for all the clubs, but we need respect as well.

"We have the best player in the world, that's what matters to us. As for what other people are saying, that is not an issue. I am not listening to that."

BBC
 
MenInG said:
Kylian Mbappe says his decision to remain at Paris St-Germain was partly based on sentimental reasons - and believes there are "more wonderful chapters to write" at the club.

The France striker, 23, rejected a move to Real Madrid to sign a new three-year contract with the Ligue 1 champions at the weekend.

Spain's La Liga reacted angrily to the news, calling the deal "scandalous".

"Leaving my country isn't the right thing," Mbappe said.

"There is a sentimental aspect to this. It is my country.

"The ongoing project has changed as well. That has made me want to stay here because I don't think my story is over yet.

"That goes for me collectively and individually. I think there are many more wonderful chapters to write."

Mbappe started his career at Monaco before moving to PSG in 2017, initially on loan before joining permanently.

Since being at the club he has won four Ligue 1 titles and three French Cups.

Champions League success has so far eluded PSG but the club's president Nasser Al-Khelaifi believes that, with Mbappe now staying, European glory can be achieved.

"We want to create more trophies. We have won plenty so far, we want to win many more," he said.

"We want to win the Champions League. We are headed down the same path with our sporting goals."

There had been reports PSG offered Mbappe more control over sporting decisions in an effort to convince him to stay.

But the forward said his sole focus and responsibility for the club is what he can do on the pitch.

"I remain a footballer, who is part of a team, and I will not go beyond this role," added Mbappe.

"Everyone knows that last year I wanted to leave and I was convinced that it was the best choice, but the years go by and things change."

'Ligue 1 needs respect as well'

In its response to Mbappe's decision to stay at PSG, La Liga announced plans to file a complaint to Uefa as well as French and EU authorities.

As well as calling the deal "scandalous", La Liga president Javier Tebas said it "threatens the economic sustainability of European football".

But Al-Khelaifi responded: "Maybe it is a good thing if Ligue 1 is doing better than La Liga.

"La Liga isn't what it was three or four years ago. I have respect for all the clubs, but we need respect as well.

"We have the best player in the world, that's what matters to us. As for what other people are saying, that is not an issue. I am not listening to that."

BBC
Click to expand...

this is so funny, mbappe signed a £4m contract a month with psg, and madrid went crying to uefa filing a complaint - yet madrid have been doing this for decades.
 
Kylian Mbappe: France forward says Real Madrid dream not over despite new PSG deal

Kylian Mbappe says the dream of one day playing for Real Madrid is "never over" despite opting to sign a new contract and stay at Paris St-Germain.

The France striker, 23, rejected a move to the Spanish champions at the weekend to sign a new three-year contract PSG.

However, speaking to BBC Sport's Guillem Balague on Monday, Mbappe has not ruled out a move to Real later in his career.

"You never know what can happen in the future," he said.

"I give up to think about the future, I only think about the present and the present is I signed a new contract for three years more at Paris St-Germain."

Asked if signing the contract meant the Real Madrid dream was over, Mbappe said: "Never over."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61555450
 
finalfantasy7 said:
this is so funny, mbappe signed a £4m contract a month with psg, and madrid went crying to uefa filing a complaint - yet madrid have been doing this for decades.
Click to expand...

Madrid having making losses and still signing players by paying exorbitant fees for years?
 
Uefa will not be told "what to do" after criticism over Kylian Mbappe's contract extension at Paris St-Germain, says its president Aleksander Ceferin.

French striker Mbappe signed a lucrative new deal at PSG having been strongly linked with Real Madrid.

After the 23-year-old decided to stay, La Liga called the French club's contract offer "scandalous".

Ceferin told BBC Sport that Uefa has "financial fair play rules which are quite strict".

"Whoever will respect our rules is welcome to play in our competitions; who will not respect the rules will not," Ceferin said.

"Look not Real Madrid or anyone else will tell Uefa what to do. They are outraged from one point of view and, as much as I know, their offer was similar to [PSG's] offer."

Uefa's financial fair play rules are designed to prevent club expenditure exceeding income by more than a set amount over each three-year assessment period.

Javier Tebas, president of Spain's La Liga, has described PSG's contract offer to Mbappe as an "insult to football" and tweeted figures pointing to the club's financial losses.

PSG are owned by Qatar Sports Investments, a subsidiary of Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the state-run sovereign-wealth fund in Qatar.

Ceferin, president of European football's governing body since 2016, says he is "tired" of complaints about the sport's willingness to allow state-run clubs.

"I've said that many times and I will say it again, tell me one argument why they shouldn't be the owners of a club," Ceferin said.

"If you say that clubs belong to the fans, don't you think that the other English clubs have owners - they have owners from the United States, some from the Middle East, they have owners from England. So it's exactly the same situation and I'm really tired of these accusations without any concrete grounds.

"I want to know who broke the rules and if you break the rules then you will be punished."

'No home games for Ukraine clubs'
Ceferin also spoke about the situation in Ukraine. Uefa has helped Ukraine's national team "find a solution" in their move to train in Slovenia before their key World Cup play-off against Scotland on 1 June.

The country's national team have not played a competitive fixture since November and have been unable to prepare normally as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Ceferin says the displacement created by the conflict will mean clubs from Ukraine will have to find similar solutions.

He added: "For sure they will have to play away, even home matches, but it will depend on the clubs where they decided to prepare for the season. We will do whatever we can to help but it is absolutely impossible that they play at home."

BBC
 
<b>Mbappe’s PSG deal: The night in Paris that showed he is now first among equals</b>

Kylian Mbappe stood on top of the world on Saturday night — his world.

Around 10 minutes before kick-off at the Parc des Princes, as Mbappe emerged from the main stand with Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi holding a shirt displaying the year 2025 on the back to show long Mbappe has re-signed for, the club’s social media platforms simultaneously broadcast a short video of a suited, ready-for-business Mbappe on top of the Parc: here he was, a Parisian king looking down on his promised land. Who owns who?

These were two of numerous striking images on a warm Paris night teeming with them. Mbappe will not forget this evening. He will not forget the introduction on the pitch, or the hat-trick that followed, of course — he could have scored six.

Nor will Mbappe forget kick-off. It also was a moment. As PSG and Metz prepared themselves for the last Ligue 1 game of the season, Mbappe was left alone in the centre circle.

It may have been orchestrated, it may have been accidental, but it proved the perfect setting. The star of the day was left in splendid isolation, the adoration flowing down from the stands equalled by the respect in the space afforded him by his superstar team-mates. Lionel Messi and Neymar may be in the same shirts but as of Saturday, Kylian Mbappe is first among PSG equals.

Given how money has spoken again, we cannot be too sentimental, but still, for a 23-year-old Parisian in his home city, this scene must have meant something and, in time, should come to mean more.

“I’m really happy to continue the adventure here,” he said to loud approval, “to stay in Paris, my city.”

Certainly, within the stadium there was no doubting the affection on what might otherwise have been Mbappe’s awkward farewell. The ultras who have been outraged at times in this underwhelming season, who have walked out of games recently, who have even whistled at Mbappe, turned down their protests and upped the volume. The pumping pre-match music was from Queen, the Pet Shop Boys and the atmosphere was French holiday camp disco. It was both end-of-term and a coming together for PSG. How long the unity lasts is another matter but the celebrations went long into Sunday morning.

Away from here, however, away from “ici c’est Paris”, Mbappe’s renewed PSG contract was causing palpitations and dismay. In Spain, not just in Madrid, the reaction was angry. There is the threat of legal action. Mbappe’s decision has altered the world as Real understand it.

Real president Florentino Perez is not used to rejection. Presumably, he will have been thinking not just of the commercial benefits of having Mbappe at the Bernabeu but of the spine of Carlo Ancelotti’s team next season.

Having already recruited Antonio Rudiger from Chelsea, and with the brilliant 19-year-old Eduardo Camavinga developing in midfield — allied to what else Real already possess — Mbappe’s arrival would have made Madrid’s squad frightening.

In Perez’s mind there will also have been the scenario next Saturday of Real winning the Champions League against Liverpool across the city at the Stade de France, then departing Paris with their greatest player: two trophies.

PSG, a Qatari-owned club in a Qatar World Cup year, could not countenance such a loss — of face as well as talent. They do not like Real Madrid and the feeling is mutual. So PSG have responded to a difficult situation the way rich people tend to: by throwing money at it. It has worked. Mbappe stays. Real growl.

Such decisive actions are meant to settle things. But Mbappe’s decision has confirmed the truism that there are more questions than answers. He may be relieved to have drawn a line in the sand of his career, but the thought process, among some other rather significant details, of how he got there remains worthy of scrutiny. He will appear on national television on Sunday morning to explain his thinking.

The question of ambition must be raised. At PSG’s training ground on Friday, Mbappe’s coach Mauricio Pochettino sat at a desk decorated in the club colours with its slogans in French and English. “Dream Bigger”, it proclaims.

This has been PSG’s brand for almost a decade and it is fair enough as this type of marketing goes. But the world beyond PSG will wonder if Mbappe’s decision is indeed dreaming bigger.

PSG claimed their 10th Ligue 1 title this season, eight of them in the last 10 years. It is not organic growth.

They have finished 15 points clear of Marseille in second. It has been won at a canter, or in Messi’s case, walking pace and this game was an example of Ligue 1’s competitiveness. Metz, who were relegated by the 5-0 defeat, actually started brightly. But once Mbappe put PSG in front after 24 minutes the visitors were overwhelmed by the talent, the occasion. It was reasonable football, but it was not Champions League material.

That is next Saturday. Real come to town to try to win their 14th Champions League/European Cup. The first of these, won in 1956, was in the Parc des Princes.

Rational neutrals can place 10 domestic titles alongside 13 Champions Leagues and see where “dreaming bigger” fits in.

Rational neutrals, people who disagree with Perez’s overall view of football, can still feel a twang of disappointment that Mbappe will not be seen — next season at least — in an evolving Real side looking capable of living up to the club’s traditions.

PSG would counter that in retaining Mbappe they are the ones dreaming bigger. More than once last week Pochettino used the term “obsession” to describe PSG’s attitude towards winning the Champions League, and for Mbappe, imagine being the Parisian who finally achieves it for Paris. A banner here read: “Kylian c’est Paris”.

Next season’s final is in Istanbul and we shall see how close PSG get to Turkey. We will see if this club which has again increased player power can form a team or if there will be another Champions League meltdown 10 months down the line.

After the last, in March in Madrid, Mbappe was pictured, frustrated, hands on hips before a Bernabeu scoreboard telling the story of PSG’s defeat.

We thought then it also conveyed Mbappe’s exit from Paris. But just as he wrong-footed a few Metz defenders on Saturday night, he wrong-footed a continent.

When Mbappe has flabbergasted us before — running 37 kilometres per hour at the last World Cup — we have used a word to describe him: unreal. And so he remains. It’s Kylian Mbappe’s world; he’ll do what he wants.

https://theathletic.com/3326740/202...ris-that-showed-he-is-now-first-among-equals/
 
Real Madrid’s Florentino Pérez claims the French president, Emmanuel Macron, intervened to persuade Kylian Mbappé to sign a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain.

Madrid had targeted the forward last summer but after failing with a £170m bid were confident they could lure him to the Bernabéu once his deal had expired. However, the France international signed a new, highly lucrative three-year contract.

“His dream was to play at Real Madrid,” the club’s president told the Spanish television programme El Chiringuito. “We wanted to do it last August and they didn’t let him leave. He kept saying he wanted to play at Madrid and 15 days before changed the situation.

“Macron called Mbappé, it makes no sense. PSG offered him to be the leader of the project, it changed everything. It was not easy for Mbappé to receive calls from the president of France ... to tell you not to leave the club.

“Then [you] go to Qatar [PSG are bankrolled by Qatari Sports Investment, a subsidiary of the country’s sovereign wealth fund] and they offer things that drive you crazy, probably things out of proportion. This is why Kylian has changed.

“I didn’t see the same Kylian Mbappé that we wanted. He changes, he is offered other things, he is pressured and he is already another footballer. This is not the Mbappé I wanted to bring; he is another one, who must have changed his dream. Here, no one is bigger than Real Madrid. It won’t change.”

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...florentino-perez-real-madrid?CMP=share_btn_tw
 
Kylian Mbappe downplays Neymar feud, labelling Brazilian hot and cold

Kylian Mbappe has played down reports of a feud between himself and Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Neymar.

The forwards clashed in August's win over Montpellier when Neymar prevented Mbappe, who had seen an earlier penalty saved, from taking another spot-kick, ignoring the order of penalty takers assigned by boss Christophe Galtier.

Sergio Ramos reportedly had to separate the two feuding stars in the dressing room after the match and Neymar's liking of posts on social media poking fun at Mbappe's missed penalty have only fanned speculation of unrest.

But, speaking ahead of PSG's Champions League Group H clash with Juventus, Mbappe revealed that while there were ups and downs in his relationship with Neymar there was still the utmost of respect for the Brazilian.

"To talk about Neymar, this is the sixth year, I think we've always had a relationship like this based on respect," Mbappe told reporters.

"But we've always had moments like this where sometimes we've had moments that were a bit colder and moments that were a bit hotter.

"There are times, you'll see, when we're the best of friends and sometimes we don't talk so much, it's the nature of our relationship that's like that.

"But there is a lot of respect, I have a lot of respect for the player he is, the player he represents and the importance he has in our team.

"Afterwards, when you have two players with a strong character like that, life is not linear, it's sure that sometimes things happen but it always remains in the respect and in the interest of PSG."

Asked who would take a penalty were PSG to win one against Juventus, Mbappe added: "We'll see, we'll see, there's always a discussion, we have to see how it goes during the match.

"I think we're not both closed [to discuss it]. If the match makes it Neymar who shoots, it will be Neymar who shoots, if the match makes it me who shoots, it will be me who shoots, there's no problem on that.

"Number one doesn't mean that you take all the penalties. I don't think that exists in any club, even less when you play with three players like that.

"You have to know how to share the cake and feel, it's a question of feeling, and also know how to put water in your wine. We'll see tomorrow but there's no problem with that."

https://www.skysports.com/football/...-neymar-feud-labelling-brazilian-hot-and-cold
 
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