French and Paris Saint-Germain forward, Kylian Mbappe has confirmed that he asked to leave French side Paris Saint-Germain at the end of July, having being linked with a mega-money summer move to Real Madrid.
Kylian Mbappé had said this while speaking with RMC Sport, in an interview, where he opened up about his aborted transfer of the summer.
Real Madrid had made offers of £137million and £154m for the France international, both of which PSG’s owners did not even respond to.
The 22-year-old has entered the final 12 months of his deal at the Parc des Princes and he is therefore available on a free transfer at the end of the season after refusing to agree to fresh terms.
Kylian Mbappé who has remained silent after the failed move, has finally opened up, revealing that he did not wait at all for the end of August and the last days of the transfer window to inform PSG of his desires to leave the club, one year from the end of his contract.
“I asked to leave, because, from the moment I did not want to extend, I wanted the club to have a transfer fee to have a quality replacement, he explains in this long interview where no subject is not evaded. It is a club which brought me a lot, I have always been happy, the four years that I spent here, and I still am. I announced it early enough that the club can turn around. I wanted everyone to come out grown-up, to go out hand in hand, to make a good deal, and I respected that. I said, if you don’t want me to leave, I will stay, “he explained, a little surprised at the extent of his false start in the world of football.
“I said I wanted to leave and I said it soon enough”
“People said I turned down six or seven extension offers, that I don’t want to talk to Leonardo anymore, that’s absolutely not true. I’m told ‘Kylian now you’re talking to the president.'” “Because that he (Leonardo) was not able to find a solution with you, maybe that’s why … “, suggests Jérôme Rothen.
“It is not for me to judge, but me, my position was clear. I said that I wanted to leave and I said it quite early. Me, personally, I did not appreciate too much the fact of say ‘yes, he’s coming the last week of August …’ because that’s a thief. I said at the end of July that I wanted to leave. “
He also spoke about Messi and his future, since he has just 12 months left in his contract with PSG. The full interview which is about 2 hours, will be released on Tuesday by the French Sport outlet.
Mbappe was Madrid’s top priority during Zinedine Zidane’s tenure and the objective remains the same under new boss Carlo Ancelotti, and reports have suggested they could look for a loan move for Edinson Cavani in January as a stop gap.
The 2018 World Cup winner is also keen to make the move and it is widely expected that he will join Los Blancos at the end of his contract in the summer.
Real Madrid still made a number of attempts to sign Mbappe in the summer, despite him becoming a free agent in 2022.
And fellow Frenchman Karim Benzema said earlier this month it is just a ‘matter of time’ before Mbappe signs on the dotted line for Madrid.
Mbappe joined PSG in 2017 on an initial loan deal before the move was turned into a £165m permanent transfer the following year.
He has gone on to score 136 goals in 182 appearances for the Ligue 1 side, and has netted four league goals in nine matches so far this term.