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Kylian Mbappe has been told to “grow up” and be more of a team player, with former France star Emmanuel Petit saying the Paris Saint-Germain striker’s behaviour “annoys everyone”.
France international Mbappe was linked with a move away from PSG on Tuesday, as Spanish newspaper Marca claimed his relationship with the Ligue 1 club has broken down.
It was reported Mbappe would be keen to move in January, despite only signing a new contract at the end of last season.
The deal came amid strong interest from Real Madrid, with Mbappe agreeing hugely lucrative terms to remain at PSG rather than depart as a free agent at the end of his contract.
He deleted an Instagram post recently that appeared to be critical of his role in coach Christophe Galtier’s team, with Mbappe giving the impression he is displeased at being used as a lone out-and-out striker.
Speaking to RMC Sport, former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder Petit said: “In recent weeks, I find him off-topic in his communication. I find that he is moving more and more from the central subject, which is the game and the pitch. He is making it more and more a personal business.
“Of course, I hear rumours that promises have not been kept, but I want to tell him: ‘Kylian, grow up, that’s life.’
“It’s the same every day. You are made promises that no one keeps most of the time, does that mean you have to stop working and question everything? Of course not.
“It’s called everyday life, the life of grown-ups, that of adults. Kylian, the sooner you have solved your problems with yourself, the sooner your performance will be felt on the pitch and your relationships with the public and your team-mates will find a certain appeasement.”
There remains a clamour in Madrid for Mbappe to join Los Blancos, but there would need to be a huge shift in PSG’s position for that to be an option before the end of next season.
At the same time, any sign of a dispirited Mbappe could have serious consequences for team morale.
Mbappe had 60 goals involvements in 46 games for PSG last season, with 39 goals and 21 assists.
This term, he has 11 goals from 12 games but has yet to have an assist, and he has often been outperformed by team-mate Neymar, who has managed 11 goals and nine assists in 14 appearances, while Lionel Messi also has eight goals and eight assists.
Mbappe, perhaps thinking he was going to be the main man this season, has been frequently overshadowed by others, making just about as many headlines for his perceived unhappiness as for his football.
He was due to be in action for PSG against Benfica on Tuesday in the Champions League, ahead of a Ligue 1 ‘Classique’ against Marseille on Sunday.
“He annoys everyone today,” said Petit. “He constantly makes it a personal matter.
“He even puts himself above the institution. Has everything that happened in recent months gone to his head?”
