The long Kylian Mbappe transfer saga is finally over, but it didn’t end the way many had expected. Instead of heading to Real Madrid as was speculated for several months, the French superstar elected to stay in Ligue 1 by signing a three-year contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain.
Mbappe has since opened up about his monumental decision, claiming that the project in Paris made the difference in picking his current club over Madrid, and not money. Regardless of his reasons, Mbappe made the choice he felt was best for him.
But while PSG have successfully kept hold of Mbappe, they must now deal with the potential changes to their relationship. Moreover, the pressure is now on the club to make the most of the three years they have the superstar under contract.
Read on below as SBOTOP breaks down what is in store for the futures of Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain.
More power for Mbappe, maybe?
While Kylian Mbappe claims his decision to stay at PSG was not about the money, he obviously still made out with an absolutely massive new contract that likely places him as one of the highest earners in the sport.
And rightly so, given that he is arguably the best player in the world at the moment. Mbappe had an absolutely dominant Ligue 1 season with 28 goals and 17 assists to help PSG reclaim their domestic crown, and he added six goals and four assists in their run to the Champions League round of 16, including both goals against Real Madrid.
But aside from money, perhaps the biggest and most crucial resource Mbappe earned in his contract negotiations with PSG was power. Specifically, the power to influence major decisions within the club such as transfers and appointments to key roles.
If true, it would be quite a coup for the 23-year-old to have such power at one of the biggest clubs in the world. Although, Mbappe denied that he has been granted these special powers as part of his new PSG deal.
“I’m not going to go beyond my role as a player,” Mbappe said. “You don’t need special responsibility to be involved in this project. There’s a captain at this club, Marquinhos, and I’m not looking to take over from him. I don’t need to be captain to give my point of view.”
Given how PSG likely pulled out all the stops to persuade Mbappe to stay, though, it’s hard to imagine Mbappe’s influence within the club not growing by a significant margin. But whether or not Mbappe chooses to wield whatever power he has at PSG – and how he does it – remains to be seen.
Possible Mbappe influence on manager, sporting director picks
Mbappe is supposedly keen on the “sporting project” at PSG, so perhaps he could have a say on who will be the club’s next manager and sporting director.
Despite leading PSG to the title, as the Ligue 1 2022 odds anticipated, head coach Mauricio Pochettino looks likely to depart as he struggled to get the best out his star-studded squad, which featured the astonishing attacking trio of Mbappe, Neymar, and the great Lionel Messi.
Meanwhile, the latest Ligue 1 2022 news has Luis Campos replacing Leonardo as the sporting director. Campos, who brought Mbappe to Monaco as a youngster, is a highly regarded team-builder and was the architect of Monaco’s and Lille’s title-winning sides.
There has also been scuttlebutt that part of PSG’s pitch to keep Mbappe was a promise that Zinedine Zidane would be the next head coach. Mbappe has a close relationship with Zidane and is keen to play for the three-time Champions League-winning coach.
On paper, that would be a win-win-win situation. Mbappe and Zidane would finally get to work with one another, and PSG would make their young superstar happy while getting a coach whose speciality is winning the title that has continuously eluded them: the Champions League.
Whether it’s Zidane, Antonio Conte, or another top manager, PSG simply need to get a coach who can find a way to get this talented side to play up to its immense potential.
Pressure on PSG to produce a winner
Regardless of whether or not Mbappe will have any say in those key roles, the pressure is still on PSG to put Mbappe in a position to succeed, particularly in Europe.
Mbappe only signed a three-year contract extension instead of a longer-term deal, which puts PSG on the clock. It sends a message to the club that it needs to get its act together during the next three years, or else Mbappe will consider leaving for Real Madrid or another club once again.
As Mbappe so clearly stated, his dream to play for Real Madrid is “never over” despite signing a new PSG deal, and at just 23 years of age, he still has a lot of time to make that dream move in the future.
But PSG have Mbappe – arguably the best player in the world – at the present and, hopefully, for the next three years. And the pressure is now on them to learn from past mistakes and make the most of the time he’s afforded them to accomplish all of their goals.
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