Kylian Mbappé’s (25) final season at Paris Saint-Germain began with an ugly episode. Having informed the club by letter that he would not be renewing his current deal, therefore leaving on a free at the end of the season, Mbappé was ostracised from the first-team set-up and left out of PSG’s pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea.
Les Parisiens, determined not to lose one of the world’s best on a free transfer, wanted to cash in but Mbappé wasn’t budging – repeating his mantra that he would stay one more year – no more, no less. That is what ultimately came to pass but not without struggle.
By the time the first game of the Ligue 1 season came around, Mbappé was still at PSG but not on the pitch. The France captain had turned down a world-record move to Saudi Arabia, convinced he would win his battle against the club, against President Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
Mbappé would ultimately win. After an opening day draw to FC Lorient, he was reintegrated, going on to have another fine goalscoring season, during which he netted 27 Ligue 1 goals, leading Les Parisiens to the title. For that, he has sporting director Luis Campos and manager Luis Enrique to thank, as he told the media in the wake of the completion of his transfer to Real Madrid.
“I was made to understand that I would no longer play for PSG [after informing them of my desire to leave at the end of the season]. I was told right to my face, and quite violently, so I was convinced that I wasn’t going to play. Luis Enrique and Luis Campos saved me. Without them, I would never have stepped onto the pitch again. That’s why my ambition was different this year. It was below my standards but just playing, stringing together matches and winning trophies was my biggest pride but next season, I won’t settle for a season like that,” said Mbappé, who believes that his final season at PSG was a “success” as soon as he stepped onto the pitch.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle