Kylian Mbappe 'must leave PSG to win Champions League'

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:37 CDT
• 3 min read

Kylian Mbappe will never fulfil his full potential if he stays at Paris Saint-Germain according to French footballing legend Emmanuel Petit.

Mbappe came close to joining Real Madrid last summer, but when talks with Florentino Perez were getting to an advanced stage in May, he U-turned and signed a new three-year deal with PSG.

Until Cristiano Ronaldo signed a €200 million a season contract with Al-Nassr in January, Mbappe was the highest-paid footballer in the world, and the goals have continued to flow: 34 from 37 games in all competitions this season.

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But he remains hamstrung by his environment according to former Arsenal, Barcelona and France star Petit.

"This guy has been a rocket since he was 17 years old," he told LegalSportsBooks. "He's broken every single record in France. But if he wants to win the Champions League and become the best player in the world and win the Ballon d'Or, I think he has to leave PSG."

Mbappe is the highest valued player in the world per FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm at €141.6m, and he and Perez have continued to make positive noises about one another since last year's move fell through.

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Real's other obligations

Real might struggle to afford him this summer - a major revamp of their Santiago Bernabeu home is underway - while Borussia Dortmund's nascent England international Jude Bellingham remains another top transfer target. But Petit can see a move happening eventually.

"I think the door is still open for him at Real Madrid, maybe not as wide as it was two years ago," he said. "I think Florentino Perez said recently that if he wants to come to Madrid he is still welcome but he must think twice about his wages.

"He signed a three-year contract at PSG last time, but I think the last season of that is negotiable. So this coming season could be a turning point for him."