Kylian Mbappe addresses Liverpool, Real Madrid links as PSG star comes clean on January exit reports

PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe has responded to suggestions that he is pushing to leave the club in January amid links to Real Madrid and Liverpool.

Reports emerging last week claimed the World Cup winner is desperate to quit the Ligue 1 giants in January following a series of broken promises. And further claims that he has fallen out with a number of his teammates, including Neymar, have further substantiated the claims. Indeed, this article looks at the five reasons why Mbappe reportedly wants to leave.

With rumours of his departure gathering pace, reports suggested both Real Madrid and Liverpool were weighing up January approaches. And despite claims of world-record fees being involved, one report last week indicated just how and why Liverpool could finance the deal.

The new contract he signed with PSG over the summer, tying him to the capital club until 2025, means they were well within their rights to demand a huge fee.

The possible dearture of Mbappe away from Paris Saint-Germain, however, divided pundits. On one hand, there was Jamie Carragher explaining why – despite all his talent – he would not have him at Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand went one further and jokingly claimed he would try and lure the player to Manchester United.

However, the one person who has not spoken out of the speculation was Mbappe himself.

The player often finds himself the centre of such speculation and rarely speaks out unless the situation demands it.

But the 23-year-old has now broken his silence and admits he is “as shocked as anyone else” at the claims that he wants to leave.

Kylian Mbappe on PSG exit rumours

PSG were 1-0 victors over Marseille on Sunday evening as Mbappe teed up Neymar to score the winner.

And after the game, the forward insists he remains happy with Paris Saint-Germain and that there is no truth the reports.

“I’m very happy. I never asked for my departure in January,” Mbappe told RMC Sport after the win over OM.

“I was just as shocked as everyone else. There are people who may think I’m involved in this, but I’m not involved, I was taking a nap.

“My entourage was at my little brother’s game, all the people who take care of me weren’t there so we were flabbergasted when we heard about it.

“Afterwards, we had to deal with it, there was a game to play. Just to say that it is completely wrong and I am very happy.”

Mbappe was the subject of intense speculation linking him with Real Madrid over the summer. Coming towards the end of his contract, rumours were strong that he was to quit the Parc des Princes and move to the Bernabeu.

But Mbappe rejected their advances and opted instead to sign a new three-year deal at PSG.

“I am a football player, the most important thing for me is to play and give my best on the pitch,” Mbappe added.

“When you play at PSG, you know what you’re getting into, what it’s going to involve for good and for bad.

“You have to be ready. Those who come here know, we warn them. We are in the middle of it at the moment but we are focused on winning matches and titles.”

Mbappe to Liverpool always unlikely

PSG’s valuation of Mbappe ranges from anything between £175m and £300m depending on what you read.

But even if they sold him for the lower end fee, it seems debatable how many clubs could actually afford him. Liverpool, despite the rumours, just surely could not fork out such a fee.

Furthermore, his salary – at a reported £600,000 a week – puts them beyond their means.

Quite simply, there are few clubs in the world who could take on such a sizeable investment. Indeed, maybe only Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle have deep enough pockets to fund such a move. But then when FFP comes into context, it would almost certainly rule some of them out.

Perhaps one day we will see Mbappe at another club other than PSG. He will be 26 by the time his next deal expires and by then, a free transfer move away could become more logical.

But now the player has come clean on the rumours, it should put these far-fetched rumours to bed.

READ MORE: The four wildly contrasting players PSG signed alongside Kylian Mbappe in 2017 and how they fared