How the PSG locker room is experiencing the thorny Mbappé case

This season, Kylian Mbappé is the star of PSG version 2023-24. A main role that he had to share in the past with Neymar Jr and Lionel Messi. But after the departures of the Brazilian and the Argentinian last summer, KM7 became the one and only star of the capital club. Which is not to displease him. However, like a good series on Netflix, the French hero has experienced lots of twists and turns. At the start of the summer, he was sent to the Paris loft after the club received a letter in which he explained that they would not exercise the option to extend his contract until 2025.

Mbappé, a star at the center of the debates

Put aside, the Bondynois, who has always been supported by Luis Enrique, continued to train while making many stops with supporters to pose and sign autographs after the sessions. A disguised form of communication since it wasn't necessarily his habit. At the same time, the French champions have not ruled out selling him, having said yes to a colossal offer from Saudi Arabia. Finally, everyone ended up mending their ways and KM7 was able to rejoin the group and live their final year in Paris.

But for several weeks, Mbappé has once again been at the center of all attention. The captain of the Blues announced to Nasser Al-Khelaïfi then to the Parisian locker room that he would leave at the end of the season. Without much surprise, he will join Real Madrid. Except that since its announcement, it has benefited from special treatment from Luis Enrique, who no longer hesitates to release it. Some see it as an affront. We can also say that it is logical management on the part of the Spaniard, who wants to prepare for next year and work with players that he will still have in 2024-25. Which will not be the case for KM7.

Overall good understanding with teammates

Besides these points, if we rely purely on the sporting aspect, Mbappé's recent performances are not always brilliant. In addition to his two missed matches against Germany and Chile with the France team, he completely failed during the Classic against OM last Sunday. Some media criticized the choice of Luis Enrique, who was nevertheless right in bringing in Gonçalo Ramos, scorer. For his part, Mbappé, who sulked upon his exit before going straight to the locker room and then posting an enigmatic photo on Instagram, was at the center of criticism.

If he did not insult him, according to the Asturian, the Frenchman once again publicly showed his dissatisfaction with the management and management of Luis Enrique. Without necessarily saying any words since his face ultimately translated everything. Spectator of all this, the PSG group lives to the rhythm of the episodes of the Kylian Mbappé saga. But how does he ultimately experience this? Concerning his future, certain sources close to the locker room explained to us that the players are not necessarily interested in it, especially since he has been clear.

Inappropriate behavior for some

For the rest, the Bondynois generally has very good relationships with his teammates, we are told. It's no secret, we know that he is close to people like Ousmane Dembélé. On the other hand, his behavior could sometimes be surprising. This was the case during the match against AS Monaco at the Louis II stadium on March 1. Replaced at half-time, he joined the stands to sit alongside his mother and agent, Fayza Lamari. A totally lunar scene. And it was perceived that way by part of the group, who were shocked to see him running off to the shower after Luis Enrique's speech at the break.

For some, visibly stunned, this was seen as a big lack of respect, since he should have sat on the bench and supported the team. Concerning last Sunday's match against Olympique de Marseille, as was revealed by certain colleagues, the PSG coach called several players to order after the recent stories concerning his management of playing time. Achraf Hakimi and Kylian Mbappé were particularly targeted. Several internal sources have also mentioned a locker room under tension. The recent behavior of KM7 does not help to have a completely calm climate as the quarter-finals of the Champions League are fast approaching. To be continued in the next episode…