Al-Khelaifi: Mbappé will "100 per cent" stay at PSG
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was defiant as he gave an update on the situation regarding Kylian Mbappé's future at Parc des Princes.
Kylian Mbappé will "100 per cent" be staying at Paris Saint-Germain despite the club missing out on the Ligue 1 title, according to president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
Lille crowned champions
Superstar France forward Mbappé was on target as PSG won 0-2 at Brest on Sunday but it was not enough to deny Lille a famous title triumph as the underdogs ran out 1-2 victors at Angers. PSG also faltered in the Champions League, going down 4-1 on aggregate to Manchester City in the semi-finals and Mbappé – who finished top scorer in Ligue 1 for a third consecutive season – has consistently been linked with a move away from the club.
With only a little over a year remaining on his contract, the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool have been credited with an interest in securing Mbappé's services. But Al-Khelaifi was defiant about the 22-year-old's future when addressing the issue with Canal +.
"For me, Kylian is a PSG player and will be a PSG player. I am not worried," he said. "Do not worry, let us work. Mbappé is Parisian. He is French, he is Parisian, he is under contract and he wants to stay 100 per cent. He's not going anywhere. We are not blocked at all. We are really calm, very relaxed."
Mbappé, top scorer in Ligue 1 for third year running
As well as finishing top of the scoring charts with 27 goals, Mbappé also led the way for shots on target (55), while there were seven assists and nine Opta-defined 'big chances' in the top flight. Additionally, Mbappé had a very impressive big-chance conversion rate of 60.53, and created 33 chances for his team mates. His achievement of winning the top scorer award for three straight seasons saw him become the first player to do so since Jean-Pierre Papin won five times between 1987-88 and 1991-92.
For his own part, Mbappé declared his love for the club but did lay down a challenge to the PSG hierarchy to enter the transfer market. "I cannot say what needs to be done, I am just a player, but I think that people have seen, everyone has seen," he said. "When everyone sees, it is easier to draw conclusions, but there is no problem. We lost the title, but now we have to concentrate on the future. Everyone knows how profoundly attached I am to the club. I have always been very thankful towards the president, my different coaches. What I want, is to win, feel like I am somewhere where I can win, where there is a solid project around me. The footballing project is essential."