Ligue 1: Kylian Mbappe happy to let Lionel Messi become PSG's leading man; denies decision over future
Following Paris Saint-Germain's 5-1 win over Lille, in which Kylian Mbappe scored one of the goals, the French forward spoke on his future.
FollowKylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi both scored as Paris Saint-Germain ran riot in a 5-1 thumping win over Lille in Ligue 1 on Sunday, extending their unbeaten run in the competition to 14 matches. Following the clinical performance from the visitors, French forward Mbappe spoke about his future in Mauricio Pochettino's side. He added that he is happy to let legendary striker Lionel Messi become PSG's leading man in a central attacking position, with the Frenchman willing to play a support role on the wings.
When asked about whether Messi is at his most destructive when playing down the middle, Mbappe told Amazon Prime Video Sport that he is not the coach, but the legendary strike is a player who needs to touch the ball, to feel the game and the match.
"I think it's a good position for him (Messi). He is free; he can move, pick up the ball, and close to the goal. Beyond that, I can play everywhere. I have started in the middle, on the right, I played on the left, I still have a certain freedom in my movements," the French international said after a stunning performance by PSG.
The 23-year-old has been positioned across PSG's front three this season, but experts believe Mbappe has been most effective when operating down the middle or from the left.
Talking about how the equation will change once Neymar is back in the PSG fold, Mbappe added that the French giants would have to configure the team once the Brazilian returns. "For the moment, we feel good like that. Afterwards, we will have to configure the team with Ney because he is an important player; he is a player who changes our team. We'll see when he comes back," the French forward added.
Neymar, who has returned to training at PSG, has been out of action since November last year with an ankle injury. Fans will hope that the Brazil international is fit to play in the first leg of a heavyweight Champions League last-16 clash with Real Madrid on February 15.
While Mbappe remains focused on his game, questions continue to do the rounds about what the future holds for him. The 23-year-old forward's contract is running down towards free agency, and rumours are rife that La Liga giants Real Madrid are willing to throw the doors open at Santiago Bernabeu for Mbappe.
Aware of the speculations doing the rounds, Mbappe insisted that he remains undecided on his next move. When asked about his plans, the Frenchman said, "Have I made a decision over my future? No."
"Playing against Real Madrid changes a lot of things. Although I have the freedom to do what I want at this moment, I am not going to speak with a rival or do that type of thing. I am concentrated on winning against Real Madrid. And then we will see what happens," Mbappe told Amazon Prime Video Sport.
