Published 08:16 IST, July 9th 2023
'It is a team that divides: Kylian Mbappe drops massive bombshell on his own club
Kylian Mbappe feels the fact that he plays for PSG contributes to criticism of his career thus far as the player makes a huge statement on the club.
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Kylian Mbappe has taken a new turn in his transfer story after the French striker chose not to renew his contract with Paris Saint-Germain, which expires next summer on June 30, 2024. The player wants to leave the club for free without exercising the option to stay for another year, which has irritated President Al-Khelaifi, who will be inclined to sell the player this transfer window if he does not sign the contract. He is open to selling the player to any team.
3 things you need to know
- Mbappe agreed to a two-year contract last year, with the possibility of an additional year's extension
- Mbappe scored 164 goals for SPG since he joined in 2017
- PSG wants at least $200 million for the player
Kylian Mbappe makes a big statement on PSG
Mbappe noted in an interview with France Football that social expectations that demand elite performance from players like him have an impact on how people evaluate and critique his play. He also noted that being a member of a contentious team adds to the conflicting reactions and criticism he encounters.
Do others make light of my performance? Yes, but I don't blame them for that. They saw me grow up in France, and they see me all the time, whether it's at PSG every weekend or with the national team. And I've been scoring consistently for years. As a result, it becomes typical for people. I never complained about my performances being minimised. I am young, and I had the opportunity to be an observer before becoming an actor not long ago. And I trivialised what [Lionel] Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and other great players were doing. We live in a consumption culture where 'that's good, but do it again'. And the fact that I'm in Paris just next door... I think playing at PSG doesn't help much because it's a divisive team, a divisive club. So, of course, it attracts gossip, but it doesn't bother me because I know what I'm doing and how I do it.
Mbappe recognises in these words that people tend to underestimate his performance, but he knows why. Growing up in France and continuously seeing him play for PSG and the national team, his goal-scoring consistency has been normalised for the public. He does not object to this trivialization since he recognises that before becoming a professional himself, he trivialised the exploits of great players such as Messi and Ronaldo. Mbappe feels that society's attitude is based on a consumer mindset that is always looking for more. Furthermore, he admits that he is playing for PSG, a club that splits public opinion, draws gossip, and criticism, but he is unaffected since he is confident in his ability and understands what he is doing.
What is Kylian Mbappe’s situation?
Mbappe wants to leave the club next season when his contract expires and would be most likely to join Real Madrid, as the Spanish club wants to play smart and sign the player for free, but PSG, on the other hand, will be willing to sell the player this summer as they don’t want to lease the best player in their team for free.
08:16 IST, July 9th 2023