KYL’S STILL REAL DEAL
Mbappe aiming to go out in style
SINCE telling Paris StGermain last month that he will be leaving in the summer, Kylian Mbappe has been dropped by the French champions and informed by Real Madrid he cannot play in his hometown Olympics.
But with the business end of the season now fast approaching, the 2018 World Cup winner will be back on the big stage.
And Mbappe could yet say ‘au revoir’ to Qatari-owned PSG with a treble – including finally winning the Champions League at Wembley – before leading the favourites into Euro 2024 in Germany.
Mbappe has won five Ligue 1 titles, three French Cups and become PSG’s record goalscorer since signing for £166m in
2017.
Yet after several near misses, he has finally decided to sign for
Real Madrid as a free agent on a five-year contract sweetened by a €150m signing-on bonus. Since February 14, Mbappe has played only the full 90 minutes in three out of seven matches and was unceremoniously hauled off at half-time against Monaco.
“It was 100 per cent the coach’s decision,” said PSG boss Luis Enrique. “Sooner or later we will have to get used to playing without Kylian Mbappe.”
But then Mbappe starred in the Champions League win over Real Sociedad and scored his third hat-trick of the season in his last Ligue 1 match against Montpellier.
“As long as we can take advantage of him, so much the better,” Enrique said.
Speaking before tonight’s friendly with Germany, France head coach Didier Deschamps (left)
claimed his star player’s reduced playing time could be a bonus for Les Bleus. “It’s important to be physically fresh for a major competition,” said the former Chelsea midfielder.
“In any case, all the players will arrive at the end of the season a little tired. If that fatigue can be reduced a little, all the better.”
Deschamps was less sanguine about Real Madrid writing to the French FA telling them their players will not be released for Thierry Henry’s team at the Paris Olympics.
The event does not fall in a FIFA window and Real have a lucrative North American tour booked at the same time to unveil Mbappe.
“Real Madrid’s stance on the Olympic Games is a bit outdated,” Deschamps said. “But if it’s not on an official FIFA date, if they say no, the answer is no.”
After reaching the 2020 Champions League final, winning at Wembley on June 1 would be the perfect leaving present for Mbappe.
PSG are also 12 points clear at the top of Ligue 1, into the semi-finals of Coupe de France and are on the right side of the Champions League draw with a quarter-final against Barcelona.