Former Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino has suggested that Kylian Mbappe wanted to leave the club last summer to join Real Madrid.
Mbappe was recently angered that a wage payment from PSG was late just months after opting to sign a three-year contract extension with the Ligue 1 champions, a deal which keeps him in the French capital until 2025.
One of the most noticeable aspects of his new contract was the reports that Mbappe would hold great sway in the club's sporting decisions as part of his new deal. However, reports have claimed that he once again wants to leave PSG in January, after his future was thrust into the limelight last month.
Mbappe had previously strongly hinted at a move to Real Madrid while a separate interview suggested that he had been open to leaving France. It was even reported that Mbappe had reached an agreement to join Real Madrid – although he ultimately opted to stay in Paris.
Speaking in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Pochettino appeared to not only confirm those suggestions but also offered a critique of the striker: “Mbappe is younger (than Neymar and Lionel Messi ) and still immature.
“He is an animal; he has great charisma but he still needs to find himself. Leo and Ney are total players, they are more responsible although in different ways, while Kylian keeps looking for himself.
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“It is difficult for him to distinguish the moments of the game when he has to take a risk and when he should not. He does not enjoy association with his teammates unless he's in the defensive third of the pitch, because he needs space to make the most of his strengths.”
Pochettino continued: “Kylian finds no pleasure in having the ball, he only enjoys it when he can run and finish. He is a fast player who needs to see a hare in front of him in order to (have the motivation) catch it.
"Leo, Ney, and even Benzema are stable, they have found the maturity that Mbappe has not yet reached. He is evolving. We have not yet to see the best version of him.”
The former PSG boss then dropped the apparent bombshell that Mbappe had indeed intended to join Real Madrid this summer: “We will see how this process will be affected by what has happened in recent months, with the failure move to Real Madrid."
