PSG sporting director: Neymar and Mbappe want to stay

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Luis Fernandez, the sporting director of Paris Saint-Germain’s youth academy, said that both Neymar and Kylian Mbappe want to stay at the Ligue 1 club, according to Sky Sports.

“Neymar has decided to stay at Paris Saint-Germain. He wants to succeed, after not achieving much at the World Cup. I think he wants to win titles with PSG,” said Fernandez to Radio Marca on Monday night.

“He (Mbappe) will also stay. He has said it, one hundred percent. He wants to win the Champions League with PSG,” replied Fernandez when asked about Mbappe’s future.

Real Madrid have been linked with Neymar for months. /VCG Photo

Having sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Serie A’s Juventus, Real Madrid have been seeking a replacement for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to compete with Barcelona, both on the field and as an icon of La Liga. Both Neymar and Mbappe have been considered as the top of Real Madrid’s shopping list.

When Neymar departed Barcelona for PSG, the club paid 255 million US dollars for him. The transfer of Mbappe also cost some 209 million. Any team that wants to get the two young genius players will definitely have to pay. Though Real Madrid has also been known for wielding its checkbook, multiple French media outlets said that even with over 400 million, the Spanish club would never get Neymar and Mbappe.

Real Madrid have also been drooling for Kylian Mbappe too. /VCG Photo

There were previously reports from the Spanish press about Real Madrid counting on the pressure from UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) ruling on PSG to force them to sell star players to balance the books. However, Fernandez did not seem concerned and said: “(FFP) does not worry me. The important thing is that both Neymar and Mbappe want to stay at PSG.”

PSG’s sporting director has also shared his opinion on who may win the 2018 Ballon d'Or. “It may be [Antoine] Griezmann, but it must be said that [Luka] Modric has had a great season, as the best player in the World Cup who has also won the Champions League.”