The end of the 2018-19 season was a difficult one for Paris Saint-Germain and Kylian Mbappé.
After the stunning loss to Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League that saw PSG crash out of the Round of 16, PSG went on to lose the Coupe de France final against Stade Rennais and only won two of their final five matches to close out the season.
At Ligue 1’s end-of-season award ceremony, Mbappé accepted Player of the Year honors and then delivered a poignant message for PSG executives (via Goal).
“Of course there were some disappointments [this season] but it’s part of football, we managed to win this league.”
“I discovered a lot of things here. I feel it’s time to have more responsibility. I hope it may be Paris Saint-Germain, it will be with great pleasure, or it may be elsewhere for a new project, but I would like to say thank you.”
The comments on stage created a stir but the Frenchman didn’t back down from what he said when asked after the ceremony.
“I said what I had to say. When you are in such an occasion you can send messages, I think I have sent mine.”
“If I speak more it will be too much and that is not the message I wish to send.”
The desire for more responsibility combined with a disappointing 2018-19 season led to Mbappé reportedly asking PSG to let him leave the club according to L’Equipe.
The French publication revealed that PSG leaders immediately refused Mbappé’s request and explained that they planned to make the 21-year-old the center of their project.
Recently, there have been reports of PSG preparing to offer Mbappé a contract extension but L’Equipe reports that no financial proposal has been sent to the player’s representatives. The outlet continues by describing Mbappé as someone who will spend this summer wrestling with the decision to either stay at his hometown club for a few more years and attempt to win the UEFA Champions League or bolt in 2021 for Real Madrid.
Reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season certainly helps PSG’s case in retaining Mbappé and the financial impact of the coronavirus could limit Real Madrid’s ability to sign him next summer.
If Mbappé wants to be well-compensated, be the most important player at a club, and compete in the Champions League every year with a talented squad, PSG checks all of the boxes.
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