Transfer Centre

Mauricio Pochettino: 'Listen to Kylian Mbappe about his future'

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 08 March 2022

Pochettino: 'Listen to Mbappe about his future'

Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino urges the press to listen to Kylian Mbappe regarding his future, with the attacker set to become a free agent in July.

Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino has urged the press to listen to Kylian Mbappe about his future at the club.

The 23-year-old is running down the final few months of his Parisiens contract and is still being heavily linked with a free transfer to Real Madrid at the end of the season.

Mbappe has hinted at a potential short-term stay at PSG in order to break Edinson Cavani's all-time goalscoring record for the club, and Pochettino hopes that the attacker will remain in the French capital for "a long time".

Speaking to the press ahead of Wednesday's Champions League last-16 second leg with Real Madrid, Pochettino said: "I understand the media's need to have news about one of the best [players] in the world.

"But he is our player and we hope he will be for a long time. Everyone talks and you have to listen to him. He already declared that it was not the time to make a decision and let's wait for him to make a statement.

"Everything else is conjecture, and guessing things that may be very far from reality. [Mbappe] lives in the present, he is involved in what he does and that is an important quality that he has as a human being."

Mbappe bagged a last-minute winner in the first leg against his reported admirers last month, one of 24 goals the ex-Monaco starlet has struck in all competitions this season.

However, Mbappe has emerged as an injury doubt for the second leg after taking a stamp to the foot from Idrissa Gueye in a training session.