Kylian Mbappe has confirmed he asked to leave Paris Saint-Germain during the summer transfer window.
The France international has finally broken his silence on the saga that came about towards the end of the transfer window, with PSG chief Leonardo publicly quoted at the time as admitting that Real Madrid were trying to sign their star player.
Mbappe has now confirmed he wanted out of the Parc des Princes, but that he eventually agreed to stay as he wanted a deal to be sorted in a way that suited everyone.
“I asked to leave, because from the moment where I did not want to extend, I wanted for the club to receive a transfer fee so that they could bring in a quality replacement,” Mbappe told RMC Sport, as quoted by Get French Football News.
“This club has given me a lot, I have always been happy, the four years I have had here, and I still am. I said it early enough so that the club could react.
“I wanted everyone to come out of this stronger, that we leave hand in hand, to make a good deal and I respected that. I said, if you don’t want me to go I will stay.”
PSG will no doubt be pleased they were able to keep hold of Mbappe for another season, as it now gives them the chance to play the former Monaco man up front with Lionel Messi and Neymar.
However, there could be an issue next summer as Mbappe is heading towards being a free agent, and clubs all over the world will surely be lining up to pounce.
The 22-year-old looks like being a generational talent, and it would be intriguing to see him play at a more competitive level than Ligue 1, where PSG tend to dominate due to their financial advantage over the other teams in the division.