Mauricio Pochettino has offered a key update on the Kylian Mbappe transfer saga.
The Paris Saint-Germain manager was speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the club’s Ligue 1 clash against seventh-place RC Lens at the Parc de Princes. As has become canon for French journalists every time PSG plays, questions about Mbappe’s future were raised.
Mbappe is thought to be moving to Real Madrid at the end of the season but reports from recent times have claimed that the forward is considering his options. One of those options has been reported to be a contract extension with PSG, with the club planning a huge financial package worth €200 million to get Mbappe to commit his future to the club.
The Argentine manager told journalists that Mbappe’s future will be decided after the Ligue 1 season is ended and after PSG are officially crowned champions. He reiterated, however, that he would like for the 23-year-old to remain at PSG but stressed that the club and the player will make those decisions only after the end of the season.
“As a coach, the situation does not bother me. You have to understand it. This does not only happen in Paris but also in other clubs,” Pochettino said at the pre-match press conference. “This is not the first, nor the last time that such situations arise. We have to adapt.
“Selfishly, I would like to keep Kylian with me, of course. I would like to take him on vacation, take him home, keep him all the time. The club would like him to be able to stay here for a long time.
“It’s a negotiation. This decision is always related to different parties. It may be taken once the objective of the title is reached, once the season is over.”
Mathematically, PSG will be champions after their match against Lens tomorrow if they come out of the tie with all three points. If they do not win against Lens, they will have to count on Stade de Reims defeating second-placed Olympique de Marseille on Sunday.
Pochettino asks PSG fans to celebrate title win
Pochettino is currently not the most popular figure at Parc de Princes because of some of the club’s failings this season. The club crashed phenomenally out of the French Cup and the UEFA Champions League to the ire of the Parisien faithful, which even led to the club booing their players on multiple occasions during the season.
With the Ligue 1 title within their grasp, Pochettino has pleaded with the fans to support them until the end and celebrate the victory as well.
“You always have to value the possibility of winning a league title because when you don’t win it, it becomes a big problem,” he said. “From my personal level, it is very important.
“It is also for the supporters and we hope that they will celebrate it with us, that they will agree to put the current situation on hold, knowing that the criticisms remain constructive and that the club remains attentive to them.
“Afterwards, the club will make the decisions that will have to be taken. I just hope that tomorrow the fans will be with us and that we can celebrate the title together.”
