Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo affirmed that he is furious at Real Madrid’s continued pursuit of Kylian Mbappe, which he believes should be punished.
The French giants turned down a mammoth €220 million (£189m/$260m) bid for Mbappe over the summer, with the 22-year-old’s contract up in 2022. And Leonardo believes that Madrid has made illegal contact with the striker to convince him to move for free at the end of the season.
Mbappe recently revealed that he wanted to leave the club despite Real Madrid’s continuous interest earlier this summer, and Leonardo has now indicated that Madrid’s pursuit of the French youth is based on a lack of respect on their behalf.
Leonardo said: “From Madrid they deny it, but I think they have been working for a long time to buy Mbappe [on a free]. I see a lack of respect for Mbappe. He is not a normal player, he is one of the best in the world. “
Toni Kroos is one of the Madrid players to have discussed Mbappe, said: “In the summer I already said that I would like a player like him to come, but if he doesn’t we have a good team.
The striker’s compatriot Karim Benzema shares that sentiment and told that: “He is a player who will play for Real Madrid one day or another. We get along really well and I would like him to be with me today in Madrid.”
Meanwhile, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez hinted that a deal for Mbappe could be on the cards, telling El Debate recently: “We hope that everything can be solved on January 1.”
PSG, on the other hand, has not given up hope of keeping him at Parc des Princes, and the player’s mother revealed this week that negotiations for a new contract are underway.
The 22-year-contract old’s runs out after the season, so he may go for free in the summer and begin talks with clubs in January. Despite this, at the end of August, the Los Merengues offered €200 million for his services, and the celebrity requested to depart the French city.
PSG, on the other hand, dug in their heels and refused to let Mbappe leave the club, sparking a rift between the player and the administration. The World Cup winner has now spoken out about the matter, claiming that he requested a transfer to compensate the club, but Les Parisiens refused.
