The end of the suspense. Kylian Mbappé has therefore decided to extend with Paris Saint-Germain, learned franceinfo from the player’s entourage, Saturday May 21. Details of the agreement in principle reached between the player and PSG are not known, but this decision is surprising. Mbappé, who wanted to join Real Madrid last summer, weighed the pros and cons, and ultimately wants to mark the history of PSG and the French championship. While economic considerations probably weighed in his decision (several media mention a signing bonus of 300 million euros and an annual salary of 100 million), the native of Bondy is surely also motivated by other considerations.
Affirm his new status as PSG boss
“It is time for me to take more responsibility, in Paris if possible. And if not in Paris, maybe elsewhere, as part of a new project.” On May 20, 2019, the words released by Kylian Mbappé during the UNFP trophies had the effect of a bomb. Ready, at only 20 years old, to assume a role of boss within PSG two years after his arrival, Mbappé had was described at the time as too presumptuous.
Three years later, the French international has made everyone agree thanks to an exceptional 2021-2022 season. And it is this status as the new leader of the Paris squad that finally convinced him to extend his contract with Paris. With 36 goals and 26 assists this season, high-class actions and reference matches, Mbappé has considerably raised his level of play to establish himself as PSG’s star player.
1 – Kylian Mbappe in 2021/22:
3rd player of the season title in a row, a record
3rd Ligue 1 season with 25+ goals, a 1st for one since Thadée Cisowski and Just Fontaine in 1960
involved in 57 goals cc, only Karim Benzema (59) does better in the Top 5Freak. pic.twitter.com/BAYsY0FSrc
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) May 16, 2022
However, this outcome did not seem obvious at the start of the season. The arrival of Lionel Messi seemed to overshadow him and Mbappé was coming out of a very complicated summer, after his missed shot on goal in the round of 16 of the Euro with the France team against Switzerland. Whistled at the start of the season by the Parc des Princes, Mbappé overturned popular opinion by being irreproachable throughout the season, while the Parisian club sank in the Champions League and provoked a strike by its supporters. Next season, Mbappé will spearhead PSG.
Keeping up the momentum ahead of the World Cup
Last November, after a victory in Finland during which Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappé shone, Didier Deschamps spoke at a press conference: “I’m going to put them in ice cubes to keep them cool until the World Cup.“Since then, the coach of the Blues can rejoice to see that his two attackers have not wavered and continue to display an exceptional level.
The World Cup in Qatar is Mbappé’s number one goal in 2022, having already won the World Cup in 2018 at the age of 19. And leaving for just a few months in a new environment and a new championship is not necessarily the best way to prepare for such a deadline. With the start of the World Cup in mid-November, Mbappé would have only had three and a half months to adapt to Real.
And that can sometimes go wrong, regardless of the player: Lionel Messi took many months to show his best face at PSG. By staying in Paris, Mbappé will be able to continue the momentum of this 2021-2022 financial year, during which he passed an additional milestone, and calmly approach the Qatari World Cup. This new season with Paris will also be an opportunity for him to break some records and make him the greatest legend in the history of PSG.
Mark the history of PSG
We know that Kylian Mbappé is ambitious. Very ambitious. And from his professional debut, the native of Bondy had the idea of marking the history of his sport, like his idol Cristiano Ronaldo. Mbappé has since applied to do so by marking the history of Paris and the choice to extend to PSG responds to a form of continuity. And even if he claimed to Paris Match last december his “thirst for discovery, travel, encounters with players, different cultures“.
What could be better, to become the absolute legend of the capital club, than to offer Paris its first Champions League, after the club’s successive failures in the competition, what’s more after refusing the red carpet rolled out by Real Madrid? If Mbappé were to lead Paris to the roof of Europe, he would become one of the greatest players, if not the greatest player, in the history of the club.
Attached to statistics, Mbappé will be able to refine his own by staying in Paris. And go get some records. With 168 goals, he misses 33 achievements to overtake Edinson Cavani (200 goals) as top scorer in the history of PSG. With his contract, the details of which remain to be known, Mbappé may have difficulty aiming for the title of top scorer in the history of the French championship for Delio Onnis (299 goals), he who is at 132. But who knows, Mbappé may extend again to PSG at the end of his new contract.