Kylian Mbappe has denied that his shock last-minute U-turn to sign a new contract and stay at Paris St-Germain was due to the enormous financial resources at his disposal, insisting he values "sporting project" more than money.

The 23-year-old World Cup winner, arguably the best young player in the world, had reached an initial agreement with 13-time European champions Real Madrid months ago for a much-anticipated switch to Spain, but PSG have managed to persuade Mbappe to change his mind in a late twist as the French striker announced his decision to stay in France.

"I made my decision last week," Mbappe said during a press conference on Monday. "I spoke to Florentino Perez. I have a lot of respect for him and for Real Madrid. They did everything to bring me there and make me happy, so I thank them for that."

"I'd also like to thank Real fans. I hope they'll understand the fact I've chosen to stay in my country. The reality is I'm French. As a Frenchman, I want to stay here and take France towards the top, take this club and league forwards," he added.

PSG have exhausted every avenue to retain their prized asset. According to multiple media outlets, the Ligue 1 powerhouse doubled Mbappe's current salary with a pay package worth $5 million a month and offered over $125m as signing-on fee, which will make him the highest-paid player in the world.

"Everybody knows I wanted to leave last year. But things are different now, in sporting terms and personally," Mbappe said. "Leaving my country wasn't the right thing. There's a sentimental aspect to this, and the sporting project has changed as well. We spoke for months about the sporting project, and we spoke about money for just a few minutes."

"We want to create more trophies. We have won plenty so far, we want to win many more," he declared. "We want to win the Champions League. We are headed down the same path with our sporting goals."

Mbappe revealed he had sought advice from French President Emmanuel Macron before making his final decision. "We talked quite a bit," said the Paris-born striker. "You can say that it was good advice. He wanted me to stay, that's part of the negotiations."

Mbappe also denied reports suggesting his new contract gives him immense power to have a say in the club's transfers and manager appointments.

"I'm not going to go beyond my role as a player," he said. "You don't need special responsibility to be involved in this project. There's a captain at this club, Marquinhos, and I'm not looking to take over from him. I don't need to be captain to give my point of view."

"I always want to give pleasure to people because I was young and in the stadium and I enjoyed the time when I came to watch some players and now it is my turn to give pleasure to people and to be respectful on and off the pitch.

"I try to be an example because I know a lot of young guys watch me all the time and I want to give them the best way to enjoy life, even if it is not as a football player. You have to enjoy and stay focused on the real things of life."

Meanwhile, Mbappe told renowned Spanish journalist Guillem Balague in a separate interview that his dream of one day playing for Real Madrid is "never over" despite turning down their offer at the moment.

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

On Saturday, Spain's La Liga announced that it will take legal action against PSG over their renewal of Mbappe's contract. Its president Javier Tebas called the deal "scandalous" and "threatens the economic sustainability of European football."

PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi brushed off the complaint during a press briefing on Monday, suggesting there was a sniff of sour grapes.

"La Liga isn't what it was three or four years ago," he claimed. "I have respect for all the clubs, but we need respect as well. Maybe it is a good thing if Ligue 1 is doing better than La Liga. 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."