French political figures urge Mbappe to ignore Madrid for PSG stay
Martin Macdonald
- 19 Feb 2022 16:02 GMT
- 3 min read
Paris mayor, Anne Hidalgo, has pleaded with Kylian Mbappe to stay with Paris Saint-Germain this summer and ignore the overtures of Real Madrid.
Mbappe remains the second most expensive footballer of all time, having joined PSG from Monaco for an eventual fee of €145 million.
The French giants are currently running a likely risk of the World Cup winner leaving for free, though, as his contract expires in June of this year.
Real Madrid seems the most likely destination for Mbappe, as Los Blancos tried and failed with a massive €200m bid that was rejected in the summer transfer window.
TRENDING
Following PSG's defeat of Real Madrid in the Champions League this week, rumours circulated that the Ligue 1 outfit were preparing one final round of negotiations to try and convince Mbappe to stay.
Hidalgo, though, is eager for PSG to keep the superstar.
"Oh yes! Let him stay, let him help us!" she told Tele Loisirs.
“Above all, I think that beyond football and results he is so important, so useful to give hope to our young people. [That] is why I want him to stay.
"I don't have a bribe. But I just wanted to say that we love him so much.
"Just love, affection, and telling him that he is, in our country, in this city, such an example for many young people. He is aware of it."
Macron wants Mbappe to stay
Hidalgo is not the first French political figure to try and get Mbappe to stay in the country beyond this summer.
According to Spanish outlet El Mundo, France president Emmanuel Macron wants Mbappe to sign a new deal with PSG.
Macron is actually a fan of PSG's arch rivals, Marseille, but realises the importance of the country and Ligue 1 keeping as many stars around as possible.
PSG will attempt to secure a new contract for the player by offering him wages of €500,000 per week.
In addition to the financial incentives, Mbappe also wants assurances over professionalism at the club, as well as his status as the number one star even with the presence of both Neymar and Lionel Messi.
