Kylian Mbappe rules out January transfer to Real Madrid, will finish season at Paris Saint-Germain
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Updated 28/12/2021 at 19:21 GMT
The future of Kylian Mbappe looks set to be one of the biggest transfer stories over the next six months with his contract expiring in the summer. Mbappe, 23, has been strongly linked in the past with a move to Real Madrid, but the forward has ruled out a move to the Bernabeu in the January transfer window.
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Kylian Mbappe says he is "100 per cent" sure he will finish the season with Paris Saint-Germain and won’t join Real Madrid in January.
Mbappe is out of contract next summer and from January 1 will be free to speak to foreign clubs about a move.
The 23-year-old, who asked to leave PSG earlier this year, has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid. However, he says for now his only focus is PSG and beating Real in the last 16 of the Champions League.
“This is not the time to talk about my future,” he told CNN.
“I only have in mind to win at Real Madrid in February and March. No, in January I will not go to Real Madrid. I am going to finish the season with PSG, 100 per cent. I want to give everything to win a great title for the fans, I think I deserve it.”
Asked if he had any regrets about asking to leave PSG in the summer, he added: “I was honest. I gave a feeling, I gave what I have in my heart. I'm happy to stay...it's my city too. I'm French...I want to win everything this season.
“Paris is my city, I was born here and it is also where I grew up. Playing for PSG is an amazing feeling, as you have your family and friends alongside you. It’s something I always dreamed of.
“I just want to give my best and I will see what happens. All the respect I have for the people, for the club, my team-mates, and myself too, I have give 100 per cent for the next six-and-a-half months.”
Mbappe has been a key player for PSG this season, netting nine times and providing eight assists in Ligue 1.
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While another league title looks assured already – PSG are 13 points clear of second-placed Nice – the club still haven’t won the Champions League, and Mbappe is keen to change that.
“We have to be prepared,” he said about the tie against Real Madrid.
“It's the moment. It is the most important moment of the season. Of course, we want to step forward now. Two years ago we made the final, the semi-final later, but now we want to win the Champions League.”
Mbappe has formed part of an exciting trident this season with Neymar and Lionel Messi, who joined from Barcelona.
Even though Messi is yet to hit his best form, Mbappe is thrilled to play alongside him.
“It is a great pleasure for me to be able to tell my children, my friends that I play with Messi. We have to enjoy seeing him in Paris… It is an incredible moment in the history of football.”
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Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi embrace during PSG's win over RB Leipzig
Image credit: Getty Images
Mbappe also spoke at the Globe Soccer Awards earlier this week and voiced his concerns over FIFA's proposed plans to hold the World Cup every two years instead of four.
"The World Cup is the World Cup. It's a special thing because it's something [held] every four years."
"[It is] the best thing, the best competition in the world. If you hold it every two years, it can start to be normal to play [in the] World Cup. I want to say that's not normal. That [should be] something amazing.
"We play over 60 games in a year. You have Euros, the World Cup, now the Nations League - so many competitions. We are happy to play but when it's too much, it's too much. We have to recover, we have to stay relaxed. If people want to see quality in the game, the emotion, to see what makes the beauty of football, I think we have to respect the health of players."
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