Things now appear to be finally over between Kylian Mbappe and PSG after several back-and-forth negotiations in the past few weeks. Although there has been no official announcement yet, the Frenchman has reportedly informed PSG of his decision not to stay at the club beyond this season.
Kylian Mbappe signed a new two-year deal at the French club in the summer of 2022 despite huge interest from Real Madrid. However, he’s now set for a move to the La Liga club as the PSG manager provided a subtle confirmation of Mbappe’s decision during his post-match interview yesterday.
Luis Enrique discusses Kylian Mbappe’s early substitution
PSG labored to a 1-1 draw against Rennes yesterday, and despite being behind in the second half of the game, Luis Enrique took Kylian Mbappe off, the first time the Frenchman would be substituted this season in a Ligue 1 game he started.
When quizzed on Mbappe’s future and the nature of the substitution, Luis Enrique’s response all but confirmed the World Cup winner’s impending departure.
“We must get used to playing without Mbappe sooner or later,” the treble-winning manager with Barcelona admitted. PSG had been behind since the 33rd minute when Amin Gouiri put Rennes ahead in the contest. This was despite PSG’s dominance, with a frontline of Mbappe, Dembele and Barcola constantly threatening the Rennes defense.
Sadly, the Parisians failed to make their chances count, only registering three shots on target from 15 total shots in what appeared to be a toothless attack. Mbappe was finally brought off in the 65th minute, and his replacement, Goncalo Ramos, repaid the coach’s faith in him when he won and converted a last-minute penalty, making him the latest goal scorer for PSG in Ligue 1 since Opta started collecting data in 2006.
Despite the stalemate, PSG still hold an 11-point advantage over second-placed Brest, as they look to, yet again, secure the Ligue 1 title with a few matches left to play.
PSG will now start planning for life after Mbappe, and reports have linked them with a move for in-form Napoli forward Victor Osimhen as the perfect replacement for the World Cup winner.
Kylian Mbappe’s performance this season in numbers
It was shocking to see Luis Enrique take off his highest goalscorer in the competition yesterday for someone who’s been struggling all season, but understandably so. Despite his 21 goals in 21 games in Ligue 1 this season, Kylian Mbappe won’t be a PSG player next season, so the earlier the manager comes to terms with that, the sooner they can start preparing for his imminent departure.
Mbappe’s 21 goals make up for over 40% of PSG’s goals in the league this season. The Frenchman has also scored four goals in the UCL and seven more in two domestic competitions. Altogether, Mbappe has scored 32 goals in 32 games this season while also registering seven assists across all competitions.
These numbers show how Real Madrid are getting their hands on arguably the best player on the planet right now, as the Frenchman has reportedly penned a five-year deal with the Los Blancos, with Real Madrid reportedly looking to unveil him in July 2024.
