If Kylian Mbappe had his way, Paris Saint-Germain would have sold Neymar this summer. It is one of a few reasons the French star himself now wants to leave. Their relationship is described as being “at breaking point”.
Base ego is a source of a story that already threatens to become one of the most sensational of the year, perhaps even reaching a peak during the World Cup.
The path was set from the most sensational story of the summer. When Mbappe shocked the football world by rejecting Real Madrid and opting to stay at PSG, there were a number of informal conditions to his formal signing of a new contract.
There was admittedly a lot of logic to some of them. Conscious of the perception of feckless indulgence that had spread of PSG after so many European humiliations, Mbappe insisted the team be reshaped, and a proper ideology defined.
He felt the club’s literal place in Paris - at the heart of one of the three most fertile producers of football talent in the world along with Sao Paolo and south London - was being wasted. Mbappe wanted the team built around young French talent, to also play a more modern pressing game. There was an obvious sense to this. There were also talks about his position, with Mbappe saying he prefers to play through the centre. It is why Marcus Rashford was targeted, as he has been envisioned as a “ranger” out wide who can do a lot of work for Mbappe.
PSG did go for some of that young talent in the summer, but that was where the problems first surfaced.
Newly-installed sporting director Luis Campos, who is very much seen in the Mbappe camp, wanted and needed to get more players out. He found Antero Henrique far too slow in this, which meant much of the squad remained the same.
It created a frustration for Mbappe and Campos as early as August.
By then, however, another issue had presented itself. For most, it wouldn’t be a problem at all. Neymar and Lionel Messi came back in sensational form. They had clearly worked over the summer to get in their best possible shape for the World Cup, and it was showing.
They were taking centre-stage again. They were warranting all the attention.
They were also, put bluntly, playing better than Mbappe.
This could yet lead to PSG finally winning the Champions League, but presented a problem to other plans.
Given that Messi had looked so stagnant last season, and Neymar still somewhat lost, it felt like the time was right for Mbappe’s rise to centre stage to coincide with his new contract. This was his era.
It has been anything but so far. Despite the plans for a more staggered formation with Mbappe and another striker at the head of it, just like Olivier Giroud with France, new manager Christophe Galtier felt he just had to persevere with the previous trident. It was looking better than ever.
Messi has been released.
Some emotions have nevertheless been pent up. Even though it looks like the three should be able to work together on the pitch, it hasn’t been so easy in the dressing room. There’s a stand-offish relationship.
The feeling in the Mbappe camp is that there’s really only room for two of the three on the pitch, and the preference is for Messi. He is the master, after all, who Mbappe can learn from.
While the 23-year-old clearly has a tactical and political maturity beyond most players, others speak of a star whose ego is going out of control.
In public and on social media, everyone has seen the images of Mbappe just stopping in the middle of the pitch when a pass hasn’t come his way.
In private, sponsors have found an overly indulged player, who started demanding contracts that other players with superior careers wouldn’t dream of. Some blame the camp around him. For all the criticism of the infrastructure around Neymar, it is said to be slick in terms of the commercial system, and that Neymar Senior knows he’s not an expert. The Mbappe camp have instead seen staff leave in frustration. The parents were also centrally involved in negotiations with both Madrid and PSG.
Sources now describe “a war inside” the French club, that could bring another overhaul. After the initial reports, Campos denied he is on the brink of walking, and some of the issues - but there was silence from the Mbappe camp. There is still a feeling outside the club Campos could eventually go. If he does, that could leave Galtier in a precarious position, since the coach was his pick. Henrique would be expected to install his own man.
A whole range of new commitments would have to be made, which could also bring new complications since Messi is expected to return to Barcelona once his contract ends in the summer.
For now, both Mbappe and Campos feel that promises made to them have not been kept.
PSG are nevertheless insistent on keeping Mbappe to his contract - and that peace is possible. There is no chance of a sale.
There is a high chance of more dramatics.
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