Mbappe urged to stay at PSG by French Sports Minister

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 19 May 2021 13:54 BST
• 2 min read

French Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu has begged Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe to remain with the Ligue 1 side rather than completing a blockbuster transfer away this summer.

Over the last week or so, speculation surrounding Mbappe’s future at PSG as intensified following his incredible performance against Barcelona in the Champions League in which he scored a hat-trick in a last 16 first leg win for the French capital club.

His display catalysed further debate about a potential transfer to Real Madrid and whether he could regularly be the scourge of the Blaugrana in La Liga in the future.

Maracineanu, naturally, wants Mbappe’s star power to remain in France, though, as he can continue to act as a role model for the country’s citizens.

“Kylian, stay in France, we want to continue seeing you play like this,” she told France Info.

“We need you, the public needs you, Paris Saint-Germain needs you and young people need to have examples and models. Today, since you cannot leave France, stay in France “

Mbappe’s rumoured move to Real Madrid has been on the table for years now, with him having idolised former Blancos player Cristiano as a youngster, as well as the team as a whole.

Compatriot and hero Zinedine Zidane is also at the helm at the Santiago Bernabeu at the moment, also.

PSG head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who only took over recently from Thomas Tuchel, has also urged Mbappe to remain with PSG, as he believed the Ligue 1 champions can match his career expectations.

“I’m absolutely certain that PSG can give him everything he needs to be happy in his career and his work so that he can stay for many years in Paris,” the former Tottenham boss told Catalan radio station CCMA.

“He is a high-class player with enormous potential. He’s still young and he has shown – since he was 19 and he won the World Cup – that he has great ambitions. He has incredible charisma and energy. Everyone can see what he is capable of.”

Mbappe has 21 goals and nine assists in all competitions this season for PSG, including 16 in Ligue 1.