Report: Kylian Mbappé Asks to Leave PSG in January; Relationship with Club Is Broken
Joseph Zucker@@JosephZucker
Featured Columnist IVOctober 11, 2022
Kylian Mbappé's relationship with Paris Saint-Germain Is "broken," and the star forward is already looking to leave the club in January, according to Mario Cortegana of Marca (via Get Spanish Football News).
B/R Football @brfootballKylian Mbappé has asked to leave PSG in January as his relationship with the club has broken, reports <a href="https://twitter.com/MarioCortegana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarioCortegana</a><br><br>The rumors are back 😅 <a href="https://t.co/adorXVzpZW">pic.twitter.com/adorXVzpZW</a>
Julien Laurens of ESPN and Fabrizio Romano also confirmed Mbappé's desire to leave. Per Laurens, Mbappé feels "betrayed" by the club.
Mbappé signed an extension with PSG in May, ending rumors linking him to a move to Real Madrid.
Adam White of Get French Football News wrote how Mbappé not only got a €100 million signing bonus and a €50 million salary, but he was also "expected to take a meaningful role in PSG's wider decision-making."
However, drama already appears to be building in the French capital.
Most notably, the rapport between two of the club's biggest on-field figures, Mbappé and Neymar, has been highly scrutinized.
Manager Christophe Galtier has attempted to downplay any possible friction.
"The relationship between Ney and Kylian is very good, and I'm not giving you the runaround," he said.
"They are together in the training exercises, they are often together in the warm-ups. Yes, there was that match situation. And I discussed it yesterday with Kylian, who I think, I think, has discussed it with Ney."
Still, the storyline persists. If there is genuine discord, then threatening to hand in a transfer request would be one way for Mbappé to force the club to make a tough decision and effectively choose between him and Neymar.
The fact Paris Saint-Germain went above and beyond to re-sign the 23-year-old illustrates his value to the club. On the pitch, he's their best player, scoring 127 goals in 151 Ligue 1 matches. Off the pitch, he's a symbol of PSG's ambitions to become the preeminent club in Europe and a worldwide brand.
A January move seems unlikely, too, given how Paris Saint-Germain drew a line in the sand the first time around. Reversing course and moving him in the middle of the season would be the antithesis of that approach.
Should this transfer become a reality, the summer is the more obvious time to make it happen.
That means fans should prepare themselves now for months of speculation and rumors about Mbappé's future in Paris.