In May, PSG gave a blow of authority by announcing Mbappé’s renewal until 2025 (2024 according to L’Équipe and a final year to be executed unilaterally by the player). After several months of endless negotiations, Al-Khelaïfi managed to convince the French international to continue in Paris and made sure to have him at the World Cup with the Parisian jersey. However, that path of roses that they promised the striker has been fading over time.
According to RMC Sport, Bondy’s talent is not entirely happy with the market that PSG made. A disappointment confirmed by Luis Campos, who assured in an interview a month ago that he was not satisfied with the transfer market that the club had made. Mbappé expected a first level reinforcement in attack (Lewandowski, Rashford or Dembélé) to be able to play with more freedom. However, the current leader of Ligue 1 did not keep his promises and Mbappé has had to change his role to act as ‘pivot’ ahead of Neymar and Messi.
A week ago, after France’s 2-0 victory against Austria, the PSG star admitted that he felt much freer playing with the national team with a reference (Giroud) ahead of him and with greater capacity for movement. “At PSG that doesn’t exist,” he added. A few words that did not go unnoticed in France, although his coach, Christophe Galtier, did not give it much importance at Thursday’s press conference.
Neymar, from ally to enemy
Another of the problems that Kylian Mbappé has encountered during the start of the course has a name and surname: Neymar Jr. In the summer, PSG put the Brazilian up for sale and the striker did not oppose his departure. A leak that unnerved the midfielder, who changed his attitude, advanced his vacation a week and became the best player of the Parisians during the first two months of the season.
Neymar’s change of mentality was a problem for Mbappé, with whom he starred in the “Penalty-Gate” of the month of August and with whom he had quarrels due to an irremediable fight of egos. One day after that, Luis Campos and Galtier had a meeting with both of them to calm the waters and try to prevent the discussion from escalating.
Mbappé, who renewed to be the leader of PSG, is not having the desired role in the first months of competition. Even so, the striker was the star of Galtier’s men in the Champions League debut against Juventus. He scored a brace, returned to his best level and showed that he is more alive than ever. He also scored against Macabbi in Israel on matchday two and dispelled any doubts about his commitment to the club. At the moment, PSG’s season, from a sporting point of view, is going from strength to strength.
