Bernat: Everyone wants Mbappe & Neymar but they are still PSG player

Juan Bernat often flies under the radar at Paris Saint-Germain, yet the Spain international is performing well for the French giants and he is hopeful that both Kylian Mbappe and Neymar will stay at the club.

Neymar was persistently linked with a move away from PSG this summer, with Barcelona doing their all to sign the Brazilian, while Mbappe's contract runs out in 2022 and there are always rumours that Real Madrid could come in for him, which Bernat discussed in an interview with MARCA.

How did you and your PSG teammates manage to isolate yourself from everything that happened during the summer?

These are things that can happen. The [transfer] market was open, but in the end Neymar stayed with us and what we tried to do is to help him reintegrate back into the team. He's one of the best players in the world. The team, in the end, knows that we have to compete and that's what we've done.

Could the squad isolate themselves from everything that was happening with Neymar?

There is nothing that you can do. There are rumours and controversies, but the player has to focus on his job, which is to train, play and compete.

Did you think Neymar would leave PSG?

Yes, it is true that I saw him as more likely to leave than stay due to everything that was said in the press. Until the market closed, anything could have happened.

What was the feeling when you found out that Neymar was going to stay?

It was the best thing for us. He makes the difference with Mbappe. In the first game, as soon as he returned, he scored the winning goal. then against Lyon he was also decisive. They're different.

Do they kick Neymar as much as it seems?

Yes, defenders do not let him get by them. He's got the ball stuck to his foot - he likes to play like this. It's hard to take the ball away from him. You see in every game the kicks he gets.

And in training, do you despair when you have to come up against him?

There are very skilful players [at PSG]. They keep the ball and make you suffer. The lucky thing is that we have them on our team.

And Mbappe, what's it like to face him?

In a race, he is unstoppable. If he starts, you've already lost. When he has space, he is very difficult to slow down. With the power he has, it is practically impossible. Either you anticipate what's going to happen or there's nothing you can do. He's a 21-year-old who competes very well, and that is what's going to make him great.

Do you understand that the biggest teams, including Real Madrid, want to sign him?

It's normal, but he's ours and I hope he stays with us forever. He's at a big club.

Another club you know well is Valencia. What do you think of everything that's going on?

Yes, the whole thing has been bizarre. Marcelino's dismissal was not normal after the performances of the team. There's little that I can say there. It's Valencia's stuff. I wish them all the best and hope they do well, that they can continue to triumph like they did in the Copa [del Rey last season].

By the way, how did you take what Uli Hoeness said about you? It was a very hard attack and it seemed unclear what it stemmed from.

I was surprised. He didn't call me or anything. Some teammates did and I talked to them. I didn't give it much thought, in the end it was his opinion