Real Madrid News
Mbappe opens up on decision to snub Real Madrid and stay at PSG: “It’s really crazy”
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe has again spoken about his decision to remain at the club in the summer when it looked like he would be joining Real Madrid.
Everything seemed set with regard to Mbappe’s move to the Santiago Bernabeu as a free agent until he made a last-minute swerve and decided to sign a new bumper contract with PSG, committing his future to the French club for three more years.
Mbappe has previously spoken about how conversations with France president Emmanuel Macron influenced his decision to remain at Parc des Princes. And, he has once again iterated that the phone calls with Macron played a key role in his staying at PSG.
“It was some calls from Macron. It was like December, January, February, March… Macron called me and said: ‘I know you want to leave. I want to tell you that you are also important in France. I don’t want you to leave. You have the opportunity to write history here. Everyone loves you,'” Mbappe said.
The French international added: “I told him I appreciated it because it’s really crazy. The president calls you and wants you to stay.”
Further elaborating on his decision, Mbappe added: “Of course, it was easier to go to Real Madrid. But I have this ambition. I’m French. I’m a child of Paris, and to win in Paris, it’s something really special. It writes your name in the history of your country for life.”
Mbappe also opened up on how his life had changed after winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup while also admitting that the criticism he faced after France’s UEFA Euro 2020 elimination also made him consider leaving the country.
“That changed my life. I was already famous before, but after the World Cup, it was crazy. It took me a while to learn to keep calm,” Mbappe said.
“I thought: ‘I can’t play for people who think I am a monkey’. I am not going to play anymore. Then I reflected with the people around me and they encouraged me to continue. Giving up was not a good message because I am an example for people,” he explained.
Despite his decision to stay at PSG, recent reports have been indicating that all is not well between the two parties and Mbappe is already looking for a way out. Real Madrid, though, are believed to have no interest in signing the 23-year-old after his snub in the summer.
Arda Guler’s Real Madrid stint has not gotten off to the start he would have hoped to have given the expectation that preceded the transfer.
Having joined in the summer after Real Madrid outbid their competition to win him over from Fenerbahce for a 20-million-euro fee, buzz was high as the winger was expected to slot into the team quite seamlessly, albeit on a rotational basis.
Unfortunately for the 18-year-old, he has been constantly marred by injuries since completing the move.
Reports have stated that after Guler picked up his third injury since his move, Real Madrid have been concerned and want to take things slow with the player to ensure he is fit as soon as possible after an injury to his quadriceps this time.
The Turk is yet to make his competitive debut for the club, and Real Madrid even sacked their medical chief in November, in light of their injury crises since the beginning of the season.
No loan deal for Guler
However, according to Fabrizio Romano in a recent YouTube video, he states that Madrid maintain full trust and patience in the youngster.
Despite his bad luck with injuries, the latest of which he is scheduled to return from after Christmas, the Galacticos have no intention of loaning out Guler to Turkish clubs despite lots of speculation of them doing so of late.
Romano states that Madrid remain firm on not shaking things up too much with the squad, and they want to keep their roster stable, including Arda Guler.
They want to extend their full support and protection to the player as he aims to return to full fitness and finally make his bow for Madrid either by the end of this month or in 2024.
