Kylian Mbappe has confirmed his departure from Paris Saint-Germain, but Real Madrid are yet to announce the Frenchman’s transfer.
♦ Mbappe will leave PSG this summer
♦ Striker expected to join Real Madrid
♦ May have to wait for official announcement
WHAT HAPPENED?
Mbappe confirmed on Friday in a video message that he will leave PSG at the end of the season. The striker will wave a final farewell to PSG fans on Sunday against Toulouse when he plays his last home match for the club at the Parc des Princes. Mbappe is expected to join Real Madrid but an official announcement is yet to be made and may not happen for several weeks.
THE EXPLANATION
Real Madrid have already captured the league title in Spain and are currently focused on trying to win the Champions League after beating Bayern Munich to set up a final against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, June 1 at Wembley. According to The Athletic, Los Blancos do not want Mbappe’s transfer “to take the focus away” from such a big game and may not even announce the deal until after the match. It has also been rumoured that Mbappe’s mother and agent Fayza Lamari has requested that the matter is handled with care to protect her son, and Real are happy to go at the player’s pace.
WHAT MBAPPE SAID
Announcing his departure, Mbappe said: “I’ve always said I would speak to you when this time comes and so I wanted to announce to you all that it’s my last year at Paris Saint-Germain, I will not extend and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks. It’s a lot of emotions, it’s hard and I never thought it would be this difficult to announce that I am leaving my country, but I think I needed this, a new challenge after seven years.
“PSG is a club that never leaves anyone indifferent, I do not regret at any moment signing with this prestigious club. It’s a club I will keep in my memory my entire life. I won’t be a player anymore but I will continue to always watch every game. I wanted to say thank you because without you all I would never have felt half the emotions I felt. Thank you all, I hope we will finish this year with a last trophy and I believe you will remain in my heart forever.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Mbappe has scored 255 goals in 306 games and PSG and picked up 108 assists.
WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE
Mbappe will hope to pick up one more trophy with PSG before his summer departure. Luis Enrique’s side can complete a double with victory over Lyon in the French Cup Final on May 25.