KYLIAN MBAPPE has finally confirmed he will be quit Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season.
The World Cup winner shared an emotional video on social media in which he revealed he will not be signing an extension with the Parisians – putting an end to speculation about his future with the club.
The announcement comes after a long period of uncertainty about if the 25-year-old would sign an extension with the Ligue 1 club.
And amid swirling rumours of a summer move to Real Madrid, the star has hinted that a switch to the Spanish capital could be on the cards.
Mbappe explained in his heartfelt video that he won’t just be leaving PSG, but will be leaving France as a whole – opening the door to a move to LaLiga.
He said: “It’s hard, it’s hard. I never thought it would be this difficult to announce that.
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“To leave my country, France, Ligue 1, a championship I have always known.
“But I think I needed this, a new challenge after seven years.”
Mbappe did not reveal exactly where he would be heading come next season, but he is expected to join Real Madrid after a long-term saga linking him with Los Blancos.
The global superstar looked like he was heading to the Bernabeu in 2022 on a free transfer, but ultimately pulled off a shock U-turn and penned a new deal with PSG instead.
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And with that deal now set to expire in the summer, it looks as though Mbappe will finally be making the move to the 14-time Champions League winners.
His time at the Parc des Princes hasn’t quite lives up to expectations despite winning six league titles and three French cups since his arrival in 2018.
The goal-scoring machine, who is now widely considered as one of the best players in the world, was signed to be part of a team who could bring the Champions League to PSG for the first time in history.
But his £165m arrival from Monaco never managed to culminate in lifting the iconic trophy despite spending the bulk of his time in the French capital alongside two greats in Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Mbappe hinted in his statement that he perhaps didn’t manage to achieve what the fans deserved when he said: “I haven’t always lived up to the love you all gave me for seven years.
“But I have never wanted to cheat, I have always wanted to be effective.”
Before adding that he has no regrets over making the switch when he was just 18 years old.
He explained: “I do not regret at any moment signing with this prestigious club.
“It’s a club that I will keep in my memory my entire life. I will tell everybody, my whole life, that I had the chance to play here.”
Mbappe’s statement in full
Hi everyone, It’s Kylian.
I wanted to speak to you. I’ve always said that I would speak with you when the time comes. And so I wanted to announce to you all that it’s my last year at Paris Saint-Germain. I will not extend and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks. I will play my last game at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.
It’s a lot of emotions, many years where I had the chance and the great honour to be a member of the biggest French club which allowed me to arrive here, to have my first experience in a club with a lot of pressure, to grow as a player of course by being alongside some of the best in history, some of the greatest champions. To meet a lot of people, to grow as a man as well with all the glory and mistakes I’ve made.
First of all, I want to thank the team-mates, all of the team-mates that I had. All the coaches: Unai Emery, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Christophe Galtier and Luis Enrique. The sports directors Leonardo and Luis Campos for always accompanying me. All the staff members at the club, those nobody see, the folks in the shadow. Whether it’s the physios, the intendants, the performance team, all the office staff members, the ones at campus, everybody.
All these incredible people who give everything to the club and they deserve to have this recognition. Despite everything that can happen on the outside, all this media hype that surrounds the club sometimes, there are some real club lovers who want to protect it and make it shine and it’s great. And I know that with all these people, this club is in great hands.
It’s hard, hard. And I never thought it would be this difficult to announce that, to leave my country, France, the Ligue 1, a championship I have always known. But I think I needed this. A new challenge after seven years.
It’s difficult and of course there are some people I want to thank above all, these are the fans. I know I’m not the most demonstrative player. I haven’t always lived up to the love you all gave me for seven years, but I have never wanted to cheat, I have always wanted to be effective.
PSG is a club that never leaves anyone indifferent. We can love it or hate it, I made the choice of loving it. And I did for seven years with ups and downs, of course, but I do not regret at any moment signing with this prestigious club. It’s a club that I will keep in my memory my entire life. I will tell everybody, my whole life, that I had the chance to play here. And I won’t be a player anymore, but I will continue to watch every game of course, because it’s a club that I will always be interested in and I will always closely follow its news.
It was me with my qualities and defects but I tried to give the best version of myself during those seven years.
But beforehand I want to say thank you, because without you all I would have never experienced half of the emotions I felt. And just for that, I am grateful for life.
Thank you all. I hope we will finish this year with a last trophy. We are going to have good moments for what’s left and believe that you will remain in my heart forever.
Ici, c’est Paris. Goodbye.
He has managed a number of personal accolades with the club during his stint in which he scored a jaw-dropping 255 goals and registered 108 assists in his 306 appearances.
There’s still time to add to that tally with PSG having three more league games and the French Cup final still to play before the season ends.
But this Sunday’s clash with Tolouse will by Mbappe’s final game at the Parc des Princes with the remaining fixtures all away from home.
His incredible form over his seven years in Paris have seen him become a common name in the conversation for the Ballon d’Or.
While his importance to PSG has always been reflected in his role in the team and his mammoth wages.
It’s estimated that the deal penned by Mbappe back in 2022 saw him pocket around £893,000 per week to keep him in situ.
Real Madrid are understood to be unwilling to spend the same level of money on the global superstar with their wage structure meaning the astronomical fee would blow some of their biggest stars out of the water.
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But the lure of signing for the serial Champions League winners may be enough for Mbappe who will be hoping to add European glory to his trophy cabinet having already won the World Cup with France in 2018.
Real Madrid appear to be assembling a new era of Galacticos at the Bernabeu with Mbappe set to join names like Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Fererico Valverde if he makes the move.
Mbappe’s PSG career
- 306 Games
- 255 Goals
- 108 Assists
- Ligue 1 titles x 6
- Ligue 1 top scorer x 5
- French Cups x 3
- French League Cups x 2
- French Super Cup x 3
- Champions League x 0
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
