Former PSG director, Leonardo has asked the French side to cut their losses ‘for the good of the club’ by selling Kylian Mbappe who he claims is not capable of leading the club to glory.
Leonardo played a crucial role in convincing Mbappe to sign a contract extension in Paris in 2022 before being removed from his role at the end of the 2021/22 season.
The saga surrounding Mbappe has been reignited this summer after the French footballer expressed his desire not to extend his contract at the Parc des Princes beyond 2024. That means in 12 months, the Ligue 1 Golden Boot winner for the last five years could leave on a free transfer.
Leonardo who spent time at PSG as a player and as a director, has now told the club that they shouldn’t build their team around Mbappe as they don’t need him. He also noted that PSG does not necessarily need the Frenchman to carry out their Champions League ambitions as none of the clubs who have won the competition in the last six years, had the forward in their ranks.
He told L’Equipe;
“For the good of PSG, I think the time has come for Mbappé to leave.
“Because of what he’s been through in the last two years, Mbappé has shown that he’s still not a player capable of guiding a team. He’s a great player and a great goalscorer, but not a leader. It’s hard to build a team around him.
“The club existed before he arrived and it will exist when he leaves. He has been in Paris for six years and at five different clubs they’ve won the European Cup… and none of them had Mbappé. That means it’s totally possible to be champion without him.”
Real Madrid are widely considered the favourites to land Mbappe after announcing the big-money arrival of Jude Bellingham. Liverpool previously held an interest in the forward. However, the club’s outgoing director of research, Dr. Ian Graham, recently revealed the 24-year-old is out of the club’s league financially.
