Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain looks on in the Ligue 1 game against Clermont Foot at the Parc des Princes in Paris, France, June 3, 2023. /CFP
The conflict between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and their ace Kylian Mbappe cannot be any more obvious. Leonardo, former sporting director of the club, said Mbappe is not a leader and not necessary for winning the UEFA Champions League.
"For the good of PSG, I think the time has come for Mbappe to go, no matter what," Leonardo said in an interview with L'Equipe. "Paris-Saint-Germain existed before Kylian Mbappe and it will exist after him. He's been in Paris for six years and, over those six seasons, five different clubs have won the Champions League (Real Madrid in 2018 and 2022, Liverpool in 2019, Bayern Munich in 2020, Chelsea in 2021 and Manchester City in 2023), none of which had Mbappe in their ranks. That means it's entirely possible to win this competition without him."
Before Leonardo parted ways with PSG in May 2022, he worked with Mbappe for three seasons. The Brazilian executive went through a lot of the transfer drama with Mbappe and most of it involved Real Madrid. One of the climaxes of such dramas happened in the month when Leonardo was fired. When many were convinced that the French superstar was about to join Real as a free agent, he signed a contract extension with PSG.
Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain dribbles in the Ligue 1 game against Clermont Foot at the Parc des Princes in Paris, France, June 3, 2023. /CFP
The deal Mbappe signed includes an option to extend it in 2025. However, as Mbappe said in his letter to PSG earlier, he won't trigger that option, which means he will become a free agent again after the 2023-24 season. Moreover, some of his remarks in an interview with France Football last week inflamed the club's rage.
"We are in a consumer society, where 'it's good, but do it again'. And the fact that I'm right next door, in Paris... I think playing at PSG doesn't help much because it's a divisive team, a divisive club. So, of course it attracts gossip but it doesn't bother me because I know what I'm doing and how I do it," Mbappe said.
PSG paid 180 million euros (about $197.3 million) to land Mbappe from Monaco in 2018 and have spent hundreds of millions of euros on his salaries since then. That's why the club's president Nasser Al-Khelaifi made it clear that PSG will never allow Mbappe to leave as a free agent next year. If he doesn't extend his contract by the end of July, the club will sell him.
PSG are reportedly charging 200 million euros (about $219.2 million) for Mbappe's transfer. Real offered that number two years ago but were rejected.