Mbappe contract talks going well, says Leonardo

Paul Macdonald

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:47 CDT
• 3 min read

Paris Saint-Germain are making good progress in contract negotiations with star striker Kylian Mbappe, says sporting director Leonardo.

Mbappe scored his 100th PSG goal after coming off the substitutes’ bench in Saturday’s 3-1 Ligue 1 win at Montpellier.

That ended a three-game run without a goal for the 21-year-old, whose contract expires in 2022.

Leonardo is encouraged by how PSG’s talks with Mbappe have progressed, with Real Madrid among the clubs linked with a swoop for the World Cup winner.

“We are talking,” Leonardo said to Canal+.

“We want to talk and he also wants to discuss it. Now is also the time to come to a clearer idea of his future.

“It is going well. We have taken steps forward compared to 10 to 15 days ago and we will continue.”

Mbappe: I thought about 100 goals too much

Mbappe admitted the goal laid on for him by Layvin Kurzawa against Montpellier was one of the easier strikes in his PSG century.

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But he was thrilled to become the latest PSG player to reach the milestone, following club icons Edinson Cavani, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Pauleta.

Mbappe conceded thinking too much about the landmark may have affected his recent performances.

“It’s the legendary 100 mark,” he said to PSG TV. “I’ve been thinking about it for two or three games and maybe that’s why I hadn’t scored.

“Maybe I thought about it too much. But I tried to focus on the team, to help my team-mates as much as possible and they gave it back to me really well.

“They gave me this goal, there was no goalkeeper, I scored and I’m very happy.

“I knew my statistics, yes. It had been a few matches that I wanted to score the 100th.

“This one wasn’t the hardest goal to score. It’s a liberation, especially at a big club like this and all the great players who have been here.

“When I signed here, I never thought I’d score 100 goals so quickly. It was a long-term objective.”

And in comments that indicated his happiness in Paris, Mbappe – who signed from Monaco in 2017 – added: “Thank you to my team-mates and to the club for giving me confidence, whether in good times or bad. Thank you to everyone who works there.

“I think I can score even more, offer more assists. It will come with time.”

Tying down Mbappe for the long term would be huge for PSG, who are being linked with a move for Barcelona star Lionel Messi next season.