Kylian Mbappe provides update on PSG future after Barcelona hat-trick
Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe insisted he is ‘happy’ with the French giants following his Champions League hat-trick against Barcelona on Tuesday night, but he also left his future wide open by suggesting one game won’t influence his decision to stay or go.
Mbappe will have only one year left on his PSG contract at the end of the season and intends to decide in summer whether he wants to sign a new deal or pursue a transfer. Real Madrid are heavily linked with the 22-year-old, while Liverpool are also never far away from the speculation.
“It's very good, I'm happy, I've always wanted to give the best of myself with PSG. It's a shirt that is close to my heart,” the player told French broadcaster RMC after his Camp Nou masterclass.
“It would be stupid to play your future on a game, good or bad. If we had lost, to say 'I will not extend because we lost', would have been ridiculous.
“You have to let [speculation go]. I don't listen to what people say. It's a long-term reflection, not a game or two. I always said I was happy here, and with this kind of game I'm even happier.”
Speaking about the process last month, Mbappe explained: “We are in discussions with the club to try to find a suitable project. I said I was thinking about it because I think that…if I sign it would have to be a long-term commitment to Paris Saint-Germain.”
The 2018 World Cup winner reiterated then that he is happy with the club. Any decision he makes is not because he wants to leave PSG, but because he wants to test himself elsewhere.
“I will need to make a decision soon but I am thinking about it. If I had the answer right now, I would give it. I don't want to sign a contract and say a year later that I want to leave. If I sign it is to stay and that deserves time to reflect on my decision,” he said.
It has been rumoured that PSG could sacrifice Mbappe if they are to pursue Lionel Messi. Real Madrid are targeting him, but Los Blancos would need to sell a number of players to raise the cash and may still have to finance some of any prospective deal with a loan.
Liverpool would also need to sell before they could think about an approach for Mbappe. Jurgen Klopp has confirmed in the past he admires the player but was equally adamant that the kind of numbers involved could never work for the Premier League club.
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