Mbappe: I have spoken with Neymar and I want him to stay

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe has told Neymar to remain at the club and win titles with him at Parc des Princes.

“I want him to stay and I’ve told him what I think of the situation, it’s clear for me,” Mbappe told the media ahead of Saturday’s match in Shenzhen, China. “He’s an important player here and I want him to stay.”

Meanwhile, Mbappe talked up the 28-year-old’s impact in training.

“Ney was like he always is, full of qualities and he showed that,” the France star said.

Those words were echoed by head coach Thomas Tuchel.

“When Neymar trained, he was excellent, in form. He had plenty of quality, like always,” he said. “Everything was great yesterday. Neymar is in good spirits. It's unfortunate that he's suspended because it would have been good to have him with us.

“He and Verratti changed the atmosphere. They were smiling, it’s good.”

Mbappe, meanwhile, sought to clarify his own future, which he seemed to put in doubt when he claimed he wanted more responsibilities as he was handed the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award in Paris in May.

“I left a lot of doors open after my speech at the UNFP awards,” he said. “It was not the right place for that, I'm sorry. I didn't want to steal the show from other players. I want to win titles, it's in my interest and that of PSG.”