PSG pin CL hopes on Mbappe
paris — Paris Saint-Germain will present Kylian Mbappe as its latest star signing on Wednesday, a clear statement that the club intends to take the Champions League by storm after several years of frustration since being taken over by Qatari investors in 2011.
Coach Unai Emery is hoping Mbappe helps his team take the extra step into being truly competitive in Europe, after failing to go beyond the quarterfinals of the Champions League since QSI bought a vastly under-performing club six years ago.
Mbappe has been added to a glittering assembly of attacking talent that includes Brazil star Neymar, striker Edinson Cavani, and wingers Angel Di Maria and Julian Draxler. In midfield, PSG boasts Marco Verratti, an astute, perceptive passer, and Adrien Rabiot, a technically gifted homegrown talent.
Mbappe is on loan until the end of the season — PSG’s way of dealing with Financial Fair Play requirements — but when with the move becomes permanent next year it will cost the club 180 million euros ($216 million). It gives PSG unprecedented status as owning the world’s two most expensive players, with Neymar bought from Barcelona for a world record 222 million euros ($262 million).
Uniting Neymar with one of the stars of the future — Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger recently likened Mbappe’s potential to Brazil great Pele — is a coup for PSG. They are set to play together away to Metz on Friday night.
He will likely start on the right, with Neymar darting in from the left flank and Cavani —scorer of 49 goals last season — at center forward.
“I’m going to be surrounded by great players,” said Mbappe, who scored his first goal for France hours after his move was announced last Thursday. “I have everything to learn and everything to prove.”
Spare a thought for last-place Metz, however, having to defend against a front three costing 466 million euros ($555 million). Neymar’s acquisition restricted PSG’s ability to sign Mbappe right away, because of UEFA rules designed to curtail excessive spending by clubs each season. —