As they showed during their 2-0 Champions League victory over Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain attacking pair, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, are part of a footballing strike force made in heaven.
Along with Neymar, the trio will take some stopping domestically and in Europe, and in the little time that they’ve been together, it’s clear that Messi enjoys his working relationship with the French World Cup winner.
So much so, that it appears that the Argentinian would prefer it if Mbappe stayed put in Paris, rather than deciding to leave for La Liga and a switch to Spanish giants, Real Madrid.
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“I just got here and I don’t know him well enough to say (if he’s going to Madrid), but a bit like everyone, we’ll see what happens,” he said to France Football, cited by Sport.
“If in the end he stays with us it will be a great joy and another way of helping us reach our goals.”
With Mbappe’s contract at Paris Saint-Germain up at the end of the season, he will be free to talk to interested parties in January, and could, theoretically, sign for Los Blancos for free next summer.
By strengthening a direct rival for the Champions League, it would weaken PSG considerably, so it’s little wonder that Messi wants him to stay.
The Ligue Un club surely have a far better chance at European glory with Mbappe staying put than they would if he was allowed to move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Ultimately, the decision rests with the player but the lure of Real Madrid is difficult to turn down.