Christophe Galtier says Kylian Mbappe is not “above the club” after he made the “difficult decision” to stay at Paris Saint-Germain.
Mbappe had looked set to join Real Madrid when his contract expired at the end of last season, but instead signed a new three-year deal with the Ligue 1 champions.
It was reported last month that the France international wants to leave PSG in January despite only committing his future to the club in May.
Galtier says Mbappe, who is currently preparing to play for the defending champions at the World Cup in Qatar, “embodies the project” at the Parc des Princes but is not more important than any of his team-mates.
The PSG head coach said during an appearance on Rothen ignites on RMC: “He embodies the project, there can be no doubt.
“But when I say that he embodies the project, it is not that he is above the club. Kylian is at the same level as all the other players.
“On the same level as Leo Messi, who has an incredible career, who is the greatest player in the history of football. Kylian is on the same level as Neymar.”
Galtier acknowledged Mbappe had come to a “difficult decision” to remain in the French capital, adding: “Obviously he is in love with Paris Saint-Germain, but he had a very attentive eye on Real Madrid.
“He made the decision to stay. Thank you for Ligue 1, for PSG, for the players and for me. He made a strong decision and he must be respected for that. He is respectable.”