Leonardo 'doesn't see' Kylian Mbappe leaving PSG in summer
By Max Cooper
Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo has claimed that he 'doesn't see' Kylian Mbappe leaving the club at the end of the season, despite the Frenchman making it clear to the club that he has no intention of extending his current contract.
The 22-year-old has less than one year remaining on his deal in Paris, meaning he can walk away from the club for free in the summer of 2022. Real Madrid are ready and waiting for Mbappe, having failed in a bid to sign him during this summer's transfer window.
But Leonardo does not believe Mbappe will run down his contract, telling Canal Plus that the World Cup winner's 'deep relationship' with the club will see him stay in the French capital beyond the 2021/22 campaign.
"I don't see Mbappe leaving at the end of this season," Leonardo said. "Nobody is thinking about the future of Paris Saint-Germain without Kylian.
"Kylian sort of represents the difference between the superficial and the deep. Kylian's relationship with Paris Saint-Germain is deep. That's why we don't think about anything else.
"Kylian represents many things. Not only because he is French or one of the best players in the world. He has a way of being that we like and one that everyone likes."
Leonardo further laboured the point by suggesting the newly-assembled attacking trident of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Mbappe is more than a one-year plan, while ruling out the possibility of ego or jealousy hampering their success.
"Messi, Neymar and Mbappe are not something to look at for just one year," he claimed. "I think they complement each other, each one is number one in their characteristics. I don't see jealousy between them."
PSG supporters can look forward to seeing the front three in action this season, after Leonardo refused Mbappe his dream of joining Spanish giants Madrid in the summer.
The Brazilian claimed that the Merengues behaved poorly in their last-ditch attempt to sign the superstar, and that they never received the 'last offer' of an expected €220m.
90min learned that Madrid had informed PSG they were willing to pay in excess of €200m to sign Mbappe, but they then pulled out of the deal upon receiving no reply from PSG.
"We were not happy with the behaviour of Real Madrid," the sporting director said.
"Starting negotiations for one of the best players in the world in the last week of the transfer market generated a situation that we did not like.
"We were clear about our position with the offer. It was not enough, it was smaller than what we paid. The last offer they talked about never came. You can't organise a transfer market for two, three or four months and change your plans like that."