Kylian Mbappe has suggested that he is planning to stay at Paris Saint-Germain on a long-term basis.
The 23-year-old was widely expected to join Real Madrid on a free transfer over the summer, but he ultimately decided to sign a new two-year contract with the French champions.
Mbappe has again been in excellent form for PSG during the 2022-23 campaign, scoring 18 goals and registering five assists in 19 appearances in all competitions.
The France international has 11 goals and two assists in 13 Ligue 1 matches, while he netted seven goals and provided three assists in six outings in the group stage of the Champions League.
In total, Mbappe, who will feature for his country at the upcoming World Cup, has represented PSG on 236 occasions in all competitions, scoring 189 goals and providing 93 assists.
© Reuters
There remains uncertainty surrounding Mbappe's future, with the attacker believed to be unhappy with the club's business over the summer window.
However, the Frenchman has suggested that he is planning to stay in Paris on a long-term basis.
"In Paris, the page is completely blank. What an opportunity! You have to think differently. Of course, it was easier to go to Madrid," Mbappe told Sports Illustrated.
"But I have this ambition. I'm French. I'm a child of Paris, and to win in Paris, it's something really special, really special. It writes your name in the history of your country for life.
"You can stay here to have success. For us it's a big message, because when I announced I stay, a lot of things change in the mentality of people. People start to say, 'Yeah, we don't need to go out. You don't need to leave the country.'"
© Reuters
Mbappe has won four Ligue 1 titles, three Coupe de France trophies and two Coupe de la Ligue crowns during his time with PSG, while he helped the team reach the 2019-20 Champions League final.
Real Madrid are not believed to be interested in reigniting a deal for Mbappe at this moment in time, but Liverpool are thought to be long-term admirers, with the Reds potential candidates for his signature if he becomes available in the near future.
"It's been my mentality since I'm young, is always to do more, to push the limits. For me it was not the end when I won the World Cup. It was the first chapter of something crazy," Mbappe added, as he prepares to represent his country at the World Cup.
"It's so hard to win two in a row, he concludes. But if you want to write the history, you have to do something nobody does. So we're going to try. I think we have a good team. We're a good collective. The manager is the same. And we have the country behind us."
France's opening match of the tournament will be against Australia on November 22, while they will also face Denmark and Tunisia in Group D.
Matt Law
