PSG director Leonardo confirms Kylian Mbappe transfer request

Posted Thursday, August 26, 2021 by Express.co.uk

Kylian Mbappe has been linked with a move away from Paris Saint-Germain with his contract set to expire next summer

Kylian Mbappe appears to be on his way out of Paris Saint-Germain before the deadline closes, with a reported £160million bid from Real Madrid having been submitted. And, to add fuel to the fire, PSG Sporting Director Leonardo has confimed that the French prodigy wants out of the club - stating they 'will not stop him'.

Mbappe has been PSG's posterboy in his four years at the club - winning three Ligue 1 titles and three Coupe de France trophies along the way.

However, news has broken that Real Madrid are severely interested in bringing Mbappe to the club; and with a £160m bid reported yesterday, the pacy hitman has told PSG bosses that he wants out.

After speaking to the French media, Sporting Director Leonardo said he was resigned to losing their star talent.

"Kylian Mbappe wants to leave, that seems clear... If he wants to leave, we will not stop him, but on our terms," he said to outlet RMC.

PSG director Leonardo confirms Kylian Mbappe transfer request
Kylian Mbappe wants out of Paris Saint-Germain (Image: GETTY)

It remains to be seen the exact figure of money in which Real have bid for the Paris-born striker; however, officials at the French club are severely unhappy at the way in which the Spanish outfit have gone about their business.

"I cannot confirm the numbers, but it is around that," Leonardo went on to say.

"It is less than what we paid for him. But it is above all the way in which Real Madrid have gone about it that we do not like."

Yet, despite their tactics, Leonardo has been reassured by Mbappe that he will not leave for free - ultimately meaning it is now or never to sell the Frenchman for a huge fee.

"With Kylian, I have spoken a lot, he has always said the same things to us.

"Kylian has always promised that he would not leave the club for free. That is always what he has said to us."

The Parisiens have signed a whole host of superstars this summer, including Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos and arguably the world's best player, Lionel Messi.

However, despite signing the Argentinian in the most high-profile move for years, Leonardo went on to suggest that he had offered Mbappe terms surpassing the ones awarded to Messi - which would take the striker into a wage of over £620,000 per week, if reports are to be believed.

"We made two significant offers to Kylian: one at the level of the top players in our squad two months ago and one above that of those players very recently.

"We want to prove to him that he is an important player, at the centre of our project, but not above the project."

PSG director Leonardo confirms Kylian Mbappe transfer request
Leonardo is resigned to losing his star talent (Image: GETTY)

It is yet to be seen whether Real Madrid will have Mbappe in their ranks in a weeks time - but all the signs are pointing in the right direction.

A boyhood Los Blancos fan, it is plain to see why Mbappe would want to join the club which so desperately requires another superstar.

Having replaced Cristiano Ronaldo with Eden Hazard, following the Portugal international's transfer to Juventus in 2018, Hazard has failed to replicate the form that Ronaldo produced in his time at the Santiago Bernabeu.

And, with Mbappe likely to up with France team-mate Karim Benzema if the transfer goes through, we could see the birth of another star under Carlo Ancelotti.