Mbappe suffers ‘ENORMOUS REJECTION’ at PSG amid Real Madrid transfer rumours
Robin Bairner
- 24 Aug 2023 09:14 BST
- 4 min read
Kylian Mbappe’s failure to win the PSG captaincy has been described as an “enormous rejection” for the France superstar.
Mbappe put himself forward in the voting to become the captain, despite having been in open warfare with PSG over the course of the summer.
The 24-year-old has refused to commit his future until 2025 to the Ligue 1 champions, who believe that a deal is already in place with Real Madrid that will see him leave for the Bernabeu as a free agent next summer.
MORE: PSG preparing for Mbappe to Real Madrid transfer THIS SUMMER
This led to PSG freezing him out of their tour of Japan and South Korea, while Mbappe also sat out the opening Ligue 1 match of the season against Lorient.
A truce, however, has been put in place and Mbappe returned last weekend in scoring form against Toulouse – but it appears he has failed to win over his colleagues.
In an anonymous vote for the captain, Mbappe finished fourth behind Marquinhos, Danilo and Presnel Kimpembe.
MORE: Real Madrid planning HUGE 'last minute' transfer for Mbappe after PSG captaincy snub
“The vote’s clear, it’s a rejection for Mbappe,” 1998 World Cup winner Christophe Dugarry told RMC. “He put himself forward to be captain but finished fourth. Even if you know that you don’t have friends, when you participate in an election, it’s to win. It’s an enormous rejection.”
Having been so overwhelmingly defeated in the vote, it is hardly going to encourage Mbappe to remain at the club with the prospect of a lucrative free transfer to Real Madrid looming in a year.
Marquinhos best option for PSG captaincy
PSG legend Jerome Rothen, however, disagreed with Dugarry’s assessment of the situation.
“It’s not a rejection,” he claimed. “The only problem that could exist is Mbappe's reaction, it only affects him. He knows where he is going. He knows that when you vote like that, he won't be captain. It's not a problem. He's going to do his best this year to represent Paris Saint-Germain.”
Marquinhos is best placed to be PSG’s captain this season, according to Rothen.
“Mbappe is not friends with everyone so automatically you know when the captaincy’s decided by a vote, you know it won’t be him,” the former France international explained.
“I think it’s a smart way of doing things for Luis Enrique. He may have tried it too to test the atmosphere in this new dressing room. He realises that Marquinhos has a slick image. He is friends with everyone whereas Mbappe, who is an individualist, is not the best to lead this squad.”
PSG face Lens on Saturday as the top two from last season both seek their first wins of the season, with Mbappe liable to start.
