Former Barcelona star Gary Lineker has shared his verdict on Kylian Mbappe's decision to snub Real Madrid to stay with PSG with a harsh reality check for Los Blancos.
Mbappe has opted to sign a three-year contract extension with the Ligue 1 champions, keeping him in the French capital until 2025. It means he will not be joining Madrid on a free transfer this summer, as many had expected.
His decision has provoked uproar in Madrid, with La Liga themselves releasing a statement confirming they would file an official complaint with UEFA. Los Blancos will now have to find a new Galactico to build their team around, with club president Florentino Perez having all but assured fans that Mbappe would be joining.
Lineker, though, is holding no time for Madrid and La Liga's complaints about Mbappe's decision to stay. Instead, the Match of the Day host blasted the two organisations for their moaning, delivering a brutal retort about their current status in the European football order.
"I love Spanish football, but the bleating about @KMbappe staying at @PSG_English ruining the sport is a bit much. The 2 Spanish giants have always attracted and paid enormous sums for for the game’s superstars. No one else got a look in. Can’t always have things your own way," Lineker tweeted.
While Madrid is understood to be Mbappe's favourite club growing up, the attacker will now continue to feature for PSG's team of superstars. And the 23-year-old insisted that staying in France was the right decision.
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"I would like to announce that I have chosen to extend my contract at Paris Saint-Germain, and of course I am delighted. I am convinced that here I can continue to grow at a club that provides everything necessary to perform at the highest level," he told a packed Parc des Princes before PSG's final game of the season.
"I am also delighted to continue to play in France, the country where I was born, where I have grown up and where I have made my name. I would like to thank the President, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, for his trust, his understanding and his patience.
"I would also like to thank all the fans of Paris Saint-Germain, both in France and around the world, for their support, especially in recent months. Together, side by side and ambitious, we will make magic in Paris.”
Mbappe celebrated his new contract by scoring a hat-trick as PSG hammered Metz in their final league game of the campaign on Saturday. That confirmed he would finish as Ligue 1's top scorer for the fourth successive campaign with 25 goals.
As well as that personal award, Mbappe was also celebrating his fifth Ligue 1 title, with PSG finishing top by 15 points. And confirmation that he would be staying in Paris was met with condemnation from La Liga president Javier Tebas.
"What PSG are going to do by renewing Mbappe with large amounts of money (namely where and how they pay him) after giving losses of €700m in recent seasons and having more than €600m of salary bill, is an INSULT to football. Al-Khelaifi is as dangerous as the Super League," Tebas tweeted.
