Reaction to Mbappé Bombshell Interview

PSG Talking

If you thought things were bad at Paris Saint-Germain following the loss to Stade Rennais last weekend, well, Kylian Mbappé dropped a bomb on his way out the door for international duty.

On this episode of PSG Talking, I'm joined by James Teague to discuss Mbappé's interview with RMC Sport and L'Equipe in which he confirms he did ask to leave PSG and so much more.

Up first, James and I give our initial reaction to the interview and our take on the revelation that Mbappé asked to leave for Real Madrid at the end of July. Why did he wait until there was a month left in the transfer window and why did he choose now to do an interview? Should PSG have sold Mbappé last summer when there was no progress on his contract extension?

The conversation continues with us discussing whether Mbappé is using the media to change the narrative around his contract situation. Having already been jeered at the Parc des Princes this season by PSG fans, Mbappé appears desperate to come across as he tried everything to help his hometown club even as he lines up a move to Madrid.

Regarding the interview with L'Equipe, Mbappé continued to burn bridges at PSG. He admitted to calling Neymar Jr. a "tramp" for not passing him the ball. He also expressed concern over comments made by club president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who said that he wouldn't let Mbappé leave on a free transfer. Overall, he painted the picture that PSG is a prison and showed other potential transfer targets that if they sign a long-term contract with the capital club, they better be prepared to see out the entire deal.

In typical Mbappé fashion, he left the door open ever so slightly for potentially remaining at PSG—even though we all know that's a lie but again, Mbappé doesn't want to tarnish his image. "If I was told that [Lionel] Messi was going to play at PSG, I wouldn't have believed it," Mbappé told L'Equipe. "So you never know what's going to happen."

So, what does this all mean? We conclude the show by debating whether or not Mbappé could be sent to Real Madrid in January when the transfer window opens, or if PSG would send him to the reserves since he can't control his emotions when a teammate doesn't pass him the ball when he feels they should.

One thing we know for sure is, PSG didn't sanction these interviews. Mbappé went rogue and created drama at a time when it really isn't needed. Just last week, PSG defeated Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League, and instead of talking about that or what Mauricio Pochettino needs to do to maximize the squad's potential, we're talking about Mbappé drama.

As always, thank you for listening, and be sure to subscribe and rate the show wherever you download your podcasts. We’re also on Discord! Come join PSG fans from around the world and have your opinion heard.