9 months ago
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Carlo Ancelotti has refused to be drawn into speculation linking Real Madrid with Kylian Mbappe, insisting he is not ‘worried’ about the impact the rumours could have on his squad.
Mbappe, 25, widely regarded as one of the finest attacking players on the planet, has told Paris Saint-Germain he has no intention of extending his stay in the French capital, meaning the forward will leave as a free agent in the summer.
The likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool are all believed to be keeping tabs on Mbappe’s situation, but reports emanating from Spain claim the France international has already committed to a five-year contract at the Bernabeu.
The World Cup winner trained with Madrid as a youngster and held discussions over a switch to Los Blancos before extending his deal at the Parc des Princes in 2022.
Speaking to the media ahead of Madrid’s clash with Sevilla, Ancelotti stressed that he remained fully focussed on purely footballing matters, with the side looking to extend their lead over Girona at the top of La Liga table.
‘I see and hear everything but nothing else. I understand that it’s the topic of the day for you but not for us,’ the Madrid manager said when asked about the incessant links at his pre-match press conference.
Further pressed on speculation surrounding Mbappe, he added: ‘We have prepared for tomorrow’s game and that’s what we have talked about, not about anything else.
‘I’d like to work on this season, there’s a long time to go before next season.’
Ancelotti said he was anticipating a similar line of questioning going forward but was not concerned about talk of Mbappe’s possible arrival providing a distraction.
Asked if he was worried the impact the rumours may have on Madrid’s squad, Ancelotti replied: ‘If I’m worried about Mbappe, do you see me worried?
‘I think it’s going to be the same for the next few press conferences, I’m not worried.’
Madrid boss Ancelotti currently has Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo, Joselu and Brahim Diaz at his disposal in attack, with Jude Bellingham firing on all cylinders as a No.10 in an extraordinary debut campaign.
Towards the end of Ancelotti’s presser on Saturday, the Italian rubbished the suggestion that the addition of a high-profile player such as Mbappe would disrupt the equilibrium in his squad.
‘Yes, I agree that good players can play together, but the important thing is to keep the balance,’ he added.
‘The most important thing is quality and balance. If you combine those two aspects well, it’s good.’
Mbappe has netted 243 times in 290 games for PSG since joining from Ligue 1 rivals Monaco in 2018.
The superstar attacker has won five league titles in that time and was in the PSG side that finished runners-up to Bayern Munich in the Champions League three-and-a-half years ago.
He will no doubt be determined to bow out on a high at PSG after lifting the Trophee des Champions last month, with the Ligue 1 giants battling for silverware in the league and in Europe.
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