“We’re going to try everything for Mbappe; money isn’t an issue”

Leonardo is one of the people who is most in the media at PSG. This Thursday, an interview the sporting director gave to ‘L’Equipe’ came to light and he made some interesting comments. 

“It’s a question of sentiment. French players, when they start, have the aim of playing abroad. It’s not a coincidence that the majority of the players who won the World Cup in 1998 were playing abroad. When France won it again in 2018, Kylian was the only one in the XI to be playing in Ligue 1. Pogba and Griezmann have never played in Ligue 1. Zidane’s career was mainly abroad rather than in France. But, at that moment, there wasn’t a club of a size of PSG. We aren’t a selling club. Now, I think Kylian is thinking things well. The feeling we had in the stadium on Saturday was magnificent. Something is being created, not only for him. I’m not trying to sound cheesy, but other clubs don’t have ultras like that. It could be a big problem,” he comented. 

However, he said that the offer of 50 million euros a year plus a 100 million transfer bonus has never existed: “This isn’t true. No concrete offer has been made. There’s an important element: I think the last thing we will put in this contract will be money. We want to give Mbappe the best conditions so that he becomes the best possible player. 

“Mbappe at the centre of the project? It’s a sentiment, as a result of an accumulation of small things. It depends on us to understand him and know what he needs in each moment. When you join a team with maybe the best player in history (Messi), Neymar and him, you can say: who is the first, second, etcetera? But there’s a harmony, a respect btween them and that also is constructed,” he continued. 

Then, he had to reply to the question which is more important, whether to renew Mbappe or knock Real Madrid out of the Champions League. It’s difficult to think about just one thing. When we see where we are, you can’t forget where we’ve come from. You have to remember that we’ve just been through a difficult pandemic. Afterwards, not sleeping at night is normal for me. When that stops happening, it will be finished because it’s a job which involves enthusiasm. That’s my motivation,” he answered.

Lastly, he wanted to add that he does not think money is the main thing and that there is still a chance of renewing Mbappe: “There are chances, but I can’t say it. While he has not been sold, we’re going to try everything. It’s not to do with that. Kylian is so valuable that I think he’s relaxed about that. It’s secondary. I think that money isn’t an issue.”