Did PSG ask Kylian Mbappe to 'deny' leaving club in January to defuse the situation?

According to reports in France, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Kylian Mbappe held talks before the clash against Marseille, where it was agreed that the Frenchman needed to publicly rubbish reports suggesting he is seeking an exit from the Ligue 1 champions in January to reduce the media attention around it.

Image Credit: Getty Images

Kylian Mbappe's future at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) continues to hog the headlines worldwide, despite the Frenchman rubbishing rumours of a possible exit in the January transfer window. Reports had suggested last week that the 23-year-old star is seeking a departure from the Ligue 1 champions after feeling that promises made to him during his contract extension were not lived up to.

Following PSG's 1-0 win over Marseille, Mbappe told a bunch of reporters that he is happy at the Parisian club as opposed to what is being claimed. "I never asked for my departure in January. The info that came out on the day of the match I did not understand. I am not directly or indirectly involved in this info. I'm just as shocked as everyone else. It's completely false and I'm very happy," the 23-year-old had said.

However, days later, reports in France claimed that Mbappe's denial of bad blood with PSG resulted from an agreement between the Ligue 1 champions and the Frenchman. "On Sunday, it was important that Mbappe denied having asked to leave for PSG," L'Equipe claimed.

According to reports, Mbappe and PSG had discussions during which it was decided that the player needed to publicly diffuse the situation to reduce media attention on the club and him. It is said that the footballer did not request permission to leave PSG on his own; rather, those in his immediate vicinity did. As a result, he can refute in the media that he requested to depart.

According to L'Equipe, Luis Campos was viewed as being at the centre of the controversy, and there is outrage in both Paris and Doha, where the upcoming World Cup 2022 will be held. "If Mbappe has the feeling of having been betrayed by unfulfilled promises, PSG shares a similar feeling towards a player to whom it has given in to all demands, even beyond the sporting aspect," L'Equipe reported.

Le Parisien, the newspaper closest to PSG, has followed this line: "The impact was great and the denials of Luis Campos and Christophe Galtier did little to put out the fire and especially did not calm Mbappe's anger against Nasser Al Khelaifi and his unfulfilled promises." Given theses reports, it will be interesting to see what happens after the showpiece event in Qatar.