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7 months ago
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This time there is no longer room for doubt. The last hopes of seeing Kylian Mbappé extend once again at PSG faded at the end of the day this Thursday. Word spread very quickly around 5 p.m. Two days earlier, a few hours before the reception of Real Sociedad in the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League, the Parisian star revealed his choice to leave the club at the end of the season to its president, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, confirming to passage our information revealed on January 7. Even if he expected it after the negotiations at the start of the season in particular, the Qatari appreciated the player’s honesty.
It remains to turn the page during the next transfer window but before that, there is an exercise to conclude and several questions arise regarding the timing of this announcement. Certainly, the next match at the Parc des Princes comes in two weeks, giving supporters time to swallow and digest the pill, and the return against Real Sociedad takes place on March 5, nevertheless, it is now that PSG is judged. Like every year, the course in the Champions League determines the value of a successful or unsuccessful season. The road to the quarter-finals is wide open but there is a second leg to be played and a score to be confirmed.
A snub to the PSG project
In the conditions of a future confirmed departure, will Kylian Mbappé still be as motivated? The question is legitimate and the answer is a priori unequivocal. The captain of the France team only lives for constant competition. Leaving on a good note will also be a nice way for him to close his Parisian chapter. He is from a generation that takes great care of storytelling and the attacker is no exception, quite the contrary in fact. Monitored by cameras Canal+ and of The Team from his first professional season, he has mastered his communication to perfection and never hides. For all these reasons, questioning one’s commitment seems to be a battle lost in advance.
For his teammates and PSG, however, the answer is not as certain. Already because the club has always placed him at the center of its project. Even more so last summer, after the desired departures of Neymar and Messi, Campos and his teams tried to please him by building a squad to his liking. Some of his friends from the French team have arrived like Ousmane Dembélé, Randal Kolo Muani and Lucas Hernandez. The other recruits, more team players like Milan Skriniar, Marco Asensio, Manuel Ugarte and Kang-in Lee, did not force him to share the top spot. His departure is still a nice snub to this project.
What about the reunion with the supporters?
Let’s not forget that the history of the loft is not that long ago. The relationship between the player and Nasser Al-Khelaïfi then deteriorated, the club boss does not like people to stand up to him. If he refused to extend, Mbappé took a step towards the club by giving up on certain bonuses. We are still talking about a sum of around €100 million, the price of a very large transfer. Money is a source of tension between the two parties. The club is still hoping for possible gifts such as the possibility of being paid part of the player’s signing bonus to his future club. Randomly, Real Madrid. It would seem quite crazy but the subject exists according to The Team.
Finally, in addition to these financial details which escape ordinary mortals, the relationship with supporters will be closely scrutinized during future matches. In the absence of official communication (from PSG as well as from Mbappé), what will their reaction be? “Kylian in Paris!” », wrote the Collectif Ultras Paris on Sunday morning in front of the Poissy training center. The CUP has not reacted to the latest news but maintains cordial relations with the star, who has already attended a few meetings with them. That leaves the other supporters of the Parc des Princes, those who pay their way to see the stars, or those who just like the club and the matches. On this side, it risks being a little more contrasting because the soap opera of recent years wears out. From there to whistling it?
