Kylian Mbappe will stay with Paris Saint-Germain, President Nasser Al-Khelaifi assures in an interview with L’Equipe. The 22-year-old attacker still has a contract in Paris until mid-2022 and is therefore emphatically associated with a transfer. However, Al-Khelaifi has indicated that negotiations with Mbappe over a new contract are progressing well, leaving him confident that the attacker will remain with PSG.
“Kylian will stay in Paris, we will never sell him and he will never leave on a free transfer. I will not share details of the negotiations with the media, but I can say that progress is being made. I hope we find an agreement. Paris is his home. He has a mission to promote the French league, his country and the capital. Kylian is a fantastic boy, both as a person and as a sportsman. He is one of the best players and will win the Ballon d’Or in the coming years, I’m sure of that,” said Al-Khelaifi.
“He has everything it takes to extend here. Where can he go? Which club can compete with PSG in terms of ambitions and project? If he expects guarantees around the quality of the team, it says he is a winner. That’s not bad,” the PSG president continues. “We are also ambitious. But there’s no way he’s going to decide who we bring in. Again, he’s a great boy and I’m sure he says things like that because he wants a better team that can win the Champions League.”
Neymar has already extended his contract with PSG until mid-2025. “It was honestly not difficult to reach an agreement with Neymar. I remain convinced that he is one of the best players in the world. That it took so long has to do with the corona pandemic. I never doubted he wouldn’t renew. Even if Barcelona had tried to bring him in. I believe this club has financial problems, but that’s none of our business. Neymar believes in our project, he loves the club, the city and the supporters.”
“I want players to be proud to wear the colors of PSG. The club is above any player, whoever they are. We want the players to fight, give everything and want to stay at the club. When I read in the media that players want to leave, I wonder how such a fake news into the world,” emphasizes Al-Khelaifi. Barcelona have always wanted Neymar back, that’s no secret. But has Neymar gone? No. It is true that in 2019 he had not quite found his place in Paris and France. But call him now and you will be told how happy he is.”
Lionel Messi has been regularly linked to PSG in recent months. The Argentine attacker is in possession of an expiring contract with Barcelona. “I can tell you that all the big players want to come to PSG. But let me be clear: I am not answering questions about Messi. It’s not possible to bring all the great players here and we already have some great players. But Messi remains Messi, a fantastic player.”
The rumors of a possible departure of coach Mauricio Pochettino, who has been linked with a return to Tottenham Hotspur, refer Al-Khelaifi to the realm of fables. “He never told me he wants to leave. He never had an attitude that suggested he wanted to leave. It’s the other way around. He showed great commitment to the club and made it clear what he wanted for next season. Almost every day he talks to Leonardo (sporting director, ed.) about the transfer window and the players. The situation causes annoyance, because he has only been here since January and has a contract. The same applies to him as to Mbappé: people try to cause unrest.”