Mbappe hints Messi could make him reject Madrid
FT Desk
- 5 Apr 2022 09:14 BST
- 3 min read
Kylian Mbappe has hinted that the presence of teammate Lionel Messi could convince him to reject Real Madrid and stay at PSG.
It is widely believed that Mbappe is set to join Real Madrid this summer on a Bosman transfer when his contract at PSG expires.
The 23-year-old has repeatedly rejected offers of an extension at the Parc des Princes.
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Mbappe attempted to push through a €150 million-plus move last summer to Madrid, the club he supported as a kid.
The transfer didn’t go through but it has for some months now been accepted that Mbappe will move to the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of the season for free.
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But Mbappe has not yet signed officially for Madrid and he has now appeared to suggest that teammate Messi could play a role in convincing him to stay at PSG.
“I said on French television that I hadn’t made my decision [about joining Madrid or staying at PSG]. I’m relaxed, I’m finishing the season and I’m all good in my head,” Mbappe told ESPN Argentina.
“We’ll see what happens… I’m playing with Messi, I have a lot of fun playing with him and we’ll see later. I see him every day, I see what he can do.
“He can improve my game because he’s a unique player. I have the chance to play with him, it’s an honour.
“I always said that I never thought I would play with Messi but today I am and I’m very happy. I learn a lot from him, he’s a unique player, a legend who will go down in football history. It’s a pleasure for me.”
Messi signed for PSG on a Bosman transfer last summer but has endured a difficult first season in Paris, scoring just three Ligue 1 goals.
Mbappe signed for PSG from Monaco in a €180m deal in 2017, joining the same summer as Neymar, who transferred for a world record €222m.
He has won three Ligue 1 titles during his time at the club, as well as the World Cup for the France national team.
