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Mauricio Pochettino is readying himself to work with Paris Saint-Germain on plans for next season despite fresh speculation over his future following the renewal of Kylian Mbappe’s contract.
The blockbuster saga involving Mbappe finally reached a conclusion on Saturday when it was confirmed the superstar forward had agreed to stay at the Parc des Princes until 2025, snubbing the chance to join Real Madrid despite having been heavily expected to do so.
Inevitably, the fallout and furore has been extensive, with LaLiga and its president Javier Tebas heavily critical – the former threatening legal challenges over the renewal, which reportedly has seen Mbappe given a whopping €150million signing-on fee.
Additionally, it has been said Mbappe will have a say in decisions in the appointments of the sporting director and head coach, as well signings and player sales.
Indeed, Leonardo is already expected to depart as sporting director and Pochettino – whose future was shrouded in doubt after PSG were eliminated in the Champions League last 16 by Madrid – could also face the chop.
Speaking after PSG rounded out their title-winning Ligue 1 campaign with a 5-0 battering of Metz, a match in which Mbappe celebrated his bumper new deal with a hat-trick, Pochettino was asked what his own future plans are.
“Rest for a few days then get back in touch with the club to work on next season,” Pochettino said.
The former Spurs boss also hailed the news Mbappe had opted to remain at PSG.
“We are proud that a year and a half later this player has decided to extend his contract with Paris Saint-Germain and that today he has also celebrated being the top scorer in the league and that he has become perhaps one of the best, if not the best player in the world today,” he said.
“So this is a great source of pride and we are happy for the club, for the people who run it, from the president to the sporting department and, of course, for the fans, because he is a player who has the DNA of Paris, from here, and we are very happy that Kylian has made this decision to stay at Paris Saint-Germain.”
