MY ACCOUNT
Mauricio Pochettino has appealed to Kylian Mbappe to stay at Paris Saint-Germain and resist the temptation of Real Madrid, as a decision looms.
An announcement is thought to be imminent and the PSG head coach said it was important that it comes directly from Mbappe, whose contract expires at the end of June.
PSG, who hold a 15-point lead at the top of Ligue 1, face Metz on Saturday evening in their final game of the season.
Title celebrations are due to follow that game but could be overshadowed by news from Mbappe, who said he would confirm his intentions before the coming international break. Reports on Friday suggested clarity would come this weekend, and Pochettino hopes Mbappe decides to stay “for many more years”.
It has been reported PSG have offered him a staggering financial package to remain with the French champions, but there remains little consensus on what Mbappe’s decision will be.
“I don’t know what it is. I don’t walk to talk about it,” Pochettino told a news conference on Friday. “I don’t know what his decision is.
“It’s a personal decision, for Kylian Mbappe linked with the club. There’s a lot of information, a lot of rumours. We always respect the club and Kylian Mbappe’s position. The club and the player have to speak about such topics.
“I do get information as the coach, but I’m not the right person to make a statement which isn’t my responsibility. In this case, that lies with the player.”
Pochettino said he had spoken to sporting director Leonardo “about many topics” and said he had “some information about what is happening” regarding player movement.
But he stressed that did not amount to being sure about what Mbappe’s future would hold.
“As for what I want, I want Kylian Mbappe to be here for many years at Paris Saint-Germain,” Pochettino said. “I don’t know the information, I don’t know what is going to happen. I am the coach of PSG and I would like him to stay here for many more years.”
France striker Mbappe has been strongly linked with Madrid over the past year, with the Spanish giants making an attempt to sign him last August that was repelled by PSG.
The 23-year-old scored home and away against Madrid in the Champions League as PSG took a 2-0 aggregate lead in their last-16 tie, only for Karim Benzema’s hat-trick in the final half-hour of the second leg on March 9 to guide Carlo Ancelotti’s side to a comeback victory.
With 168 goals and 77 assists in 216 games for PSG, since arriving from Monaco five years ago, reigning Ligue 1 player of the season Mbappe would be sorely missed in Paris.
Pochettino’s own future at PSG has been widely considered in doubt, despite delivering a landslide Ligue 1 title success.
Given the remarkable resources at his disposal, Pochettino had been expected by many to carry PSG deeper into the Champions League knockout rounds. He was linked with Manchester United recently, before Erik ten Hag was appointed boss of the Red Devils, and has also been touted in media reports as a possible candidate to coach Athletic Bilbao next season.
PSG’s owners have not been shy in moving on coaches who have not met their high expectations in the past.
However, Pochettino declared he was keen to carry on working in Paris, saying on Friday: “I don’t see any reason why I won’t be here next season. I think the best is yet to come, hopefully.
“Everyone at Paris Saint-Germain wants to win the Champions League. That has become an obsession for the club. I hope we can achieve that.”
