Kylian Mbappe decision: PSG superstar snubs Real Madrid, to remain with Paris Saint-Germain
Sun, May 22, 2022
Soccer News (AP)
Kylian Mbappe has made his decision. Arguably the top young talent in all of world soccer is staying with Paris Saint-Germain instead of joining UEFA Champions League finalists Real Madrid. PSG announced his contract extension until 2025 before the team's final Ligue 1 match of the campaign on Saturday against FC Metz. In a short video, Mbappe says "this is Paris," as he stands high up and overlooking the Parc des Princes pitch. The France international signed a three-year deal with Les Parisiens earlier on Saturday.
The 23-year-old took the pitch on Saturday holding up a jersey with 2025 on the back -- the year his new contract will run until and declared: "I am very happy to be staying in Paris -- my city," to the delight of the fans. "I have always said that Paris is my home."
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Mbappe had been the subject of intense speculation since last summer when a move to Real failed to materialize, and the AS Monaco youth academy graduate was left to see out the remaining 12 months of his contract before being a free agent this summer. AP Sports sources have indicated that PSG's offer was marginally less than Real's in pretty much all aspects but that the player made up his mind to stay in Paris given the personal and professional challenge it poses.
"I would like to announce that I have chosen to extend my contract at PSG, and of course I am delighted," Mbappe said in an official statement. "I am convinced that here I can continue to grow at a club that provides everything necessary to perform at the highest level. I am also delighted to continue to play in France, the country where I was born, where I have grown up and where I have made my name."
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The French superstar nearly led the Ligue 1 winners past Real in this season's Champions League round of 16 only for Mauricio Pochettino's men to throw it away at Santiago Bernabeu, which appeared to settle the question of Mbappe's future in Los Blancos' favor.'
The La Liga champions have since made it all the way to the final and will now face Liverpool at Stade de France in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis next weekend. Mbappe was crowned Ligue 1 player of the year for the third consecutive time last weekend and is coming off a 36-goal season having scored 42 times last campaign and netted at least 30 in each of his last four PSG seasons.
The news of Mbappe staying is absolutely massive for PSG as they aim to claim European glory in the near future, having gone all in last summer with the signing of Lionel Messi. Keeping Mbappe allows the club to continue fielding him alongside Messi and Neymar in the attack -- assuming that neither move on this summer.
PSG finished the Ligue 1 season at home to FC Metz on Saturday with a 5-0 thrashing which saw Mbappe score three times. Early reports suggest that PSG's top target is Zinedine Zidane to replace Pochettino as head coach, Luis Campos as sporting director and Ousmane Dembele as part of what is expected to be a summer of major change in the French capital.
The Ligue 1 champions are making good on their promises to Mbappe to reconstruct their sporting project with Pochettino and sporting director Leonardo informed of PSG's intentions shortly after the Metz win.
