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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Freddie Keighley

Kylian Mbappe "thinks things through" and makes PSG U-turn as Lionel Messi claim emerges

Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo claims Kylian Mbappe has been thinking carefully about his future amid growing hope he will pen a contract extension.

Mbappe, 23, will be free to leave the Parc des Princes at the expiry of his deal this summer and Real Madrid are the frontrunners for his signature.

The Frenchman has been sensational this season with 19 goals and 14 assists in all competitions but there have been reports of tensions in the dressing room with his fellow forwards.

Further questions were raised of Mbappe's relationship with Lionel Messi as he insisted the Argentine's seven Ballons d'Or have not made his transition from Barcelona to PSG any smoother.

However, Leonardo maintains relations are good between the two superstars and he remains hopeful Mbappe will extend his stay in the French capital.

Where will Kylian Mbappe be playing his football next season? Have your say in the comments!

Leonardo insists there is "harmony" between Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe (Getty Images)

The PSG supremo told L'Equipe: "We are not sellers, that changes the spirit. Now, I think Kylian has really thought things through.

"The feeling we had on Saturday at the stadium was magnificent. Something is being created, not just for him.

"I'm not here to be cheesy but other clubs don't have ultras like that. It can weigh on you. It's a feeling, made up of an accumulation of little things. It's up to us to understand it and to know what it needs at any given moment.

"When you come to a team with maybe the best player in history [Messi], Neymar and him, you can say: who is first, second, etc.? But there is a harmony, a respect between them."

Messi laid on two assists for Mbappe as PSG came from behind to defeat St-Etienne 3-1 on Saturday and extend their enormous lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table.

The World Cup winner's double saw him draw level with Zlatan Ibrahimovic on 156 goals for PSG, meaning he only trails Edinson Cavani in the club's scoring charts.

Kylian Mbappe was at the double with two Lionel Messi-assisted goals last Saturday (AFP via Getty Images)

Speaking after the match, Mbappe appeared to open the door to extending his contract with PSG in a bid to overtake the Uruguayan and cement his legacy with the club.

"There remains Edi, we will see how it will go," he said. "Being the top scorer in the history of PSG, we cannot scoff at it, we'll see what will happen."

PSG's ultras are desperate for Mbappe to stay on with the club and unfurled a banner in tribute to the player which referenced the Parisian suburb he grew up in, stating: "From Bondy to Paris, Kylian, your story is written here."

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