Christophe Galtier has claimed that he ‘does not need to convince Kylian Mbappe’ to stay at the club, despite strong suggestions that the French winger could move to Real Madrid.
It comes as Paris Saint-Germain were knocked out of the Champions League, following their 2-0 defeat by Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, with the Bundesliga side winning the tie 3-0 on aggregate.
The 24-year-old, who played the full 90 minutes of that last-16 clash, has reportedly been a target for the Galacticos for some time now, with reports suggesting last September that Mbappe had left the door ‘wide open’ for Real to come and get him.
Yet, the PSG boss believes that Mbappe doesn’t need any persuading to stay at the club, with the World Cup winner’s contract set to run to 2025.
‘I do not have to try to convince Kylian [to stay],’ Galtier said in a press conference ahead of their Ligue 1 match against Brest on Saturday.
Christophe Galtier (left) has claimed Kylian Mbappe ‘does not need convincing to stay at PSG’
Mbappe has been linked with a move to Real Madrid but signed a new contract in 2022
‘Kylian has expressed it himself, but if you had asked any player you would have found him in the same state — very disappointed after the elimination.
‘Concerning Kylian, Kylian is a PSG player and he shows it in every game. He has a great determination to succeed and to perform well in order to help bring the club up to as high a level as possible.’
Despite Galtier’s comments on his drive to perform, Mbappe, who has scored 30 times in all competitions for the Parisians, was awarded a 3/10 by French newspaper L’Equippe for his performance during Wednesday’s loss.
And despite failing to help his side qualify for the quarter-finals, Mbappe seems to remain a long-standing target for Real Madrid, despite having snubbed the Spanish giants last summer signing a new three-year deal with the Parisians.
But questions are starting to bubble over his future at the Parc des Princes, as well as the futures of his teammates Messi and Neymar, with reports suggesting that Galtier could only be left with one of his star-studded front three come the end of the season.
Those reports claim, that a ‘fractious mess’ is beginning to build at the club, who could be set to enter a transitionary period following their disappointing exit from the Champions League, while the PSG boss himself could depart too.
PSG confirmed during the presser that Neymar had undergone surgery on his right ankle but is still set to be sidelined for the rest of the season.
Messi, meanwhile, will become a free agent this summer, and while PSG are remaining optimistic about retaining their World Cup winner, he is being linked with a move away from the club with a sensational move to MLS side Inter Miami being touted.
Lionel Messi’s future is also up in the air at PSG with his contract set to expire later this summer
Concerns are starting to rise over whether PSG are about to enter a transitionary period
They could also lose Sergio Ramos who will become a free agent later this year as well
Sergio Ramos is another player whose contract is up at the end of the season, and speaking on the pair, Galtier seemed relaxed about their current situations.
‘No, there is no doubt that these two [Messi and Ramos] are great players, with an incredible record of achievements, are capable of dealing with this kind of situation,’ the said.
‘They knew from their careers how to win this [Champions League] trophy and they have also experienced eliminations — they are used to it.
‘They are people, very high-level players, who go quickly from one match to another. And concerning their personal situation, their contractual situation, they are people who are used to managing this kind of moment.’
By Efosa Taiwo
Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier says he does not have to ‘convince’ Kylian Mbappe to remain at the club following their Champions League exit this week.
A crestfallen Mbappe evaded discussing his future beyond this season following PSG’s 3-0 aggregate loss in the round of 16 on Wednesday.
The Frenchman in his reaction to the defeat said that Bayern were a team “built to win the Champions League,” noting the French champions had produced the “maximum” they could achieve.
“I do not have to try to convince Kylian [to stay],” Galtier said Friday ahead of PSG’s Ligue 1 match away at Brest on Saturday.
“Kylian has expressed it himself, but if you had asked any player you would have found him in the same state — very disappointed after the elimination.
“Concerning Kylian, Kylian is a PSG player and he shows it in every game. He has a great determination to succeed and to perform well in order to help bring the club up to as high a level as possible.”
Mbappe has been a long-term target of Real Madrid and was widely expected to move to the Spanish giants when his contract expired last summer. Instead he signed a new three-year contract to keep him in Paris.
There has also been speculation over the future of Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos, with both of their contracts set to expire at the end of this season.
Source: dailymail.co.uk, vanguardngr.com
