Kylian Mbappe says ‘gossip’ around his performances at Paris Saint-Germain isn’t helped by club’s ‘divisive’ status

Kylian Mbappe says “gossip” around his performances at Paris Saint-Germain isn’t helped by the club’s “divisive” status.

At just 24, the France captain has quite the career palmares already; winning the World Cup, landing a clean sweep of trophies in France and with a host of individual awards also to his name.

But, in a controversial interview with France Football – which has reportedly seen six PSG players complain to club president Nasser El-Khelaifi – the forward admits he is “always dissatisfied”, and talked about how playing in his homeland brings more scrutiny onto him.

“Do people trivialise my performances? Yes, but at the same time, I don’t blame them,” Mbappe began.

“In France, they saw me grow up, they see me all the time, at PSG every weekend or in the national team, and I’ve been scoring a lot for years.

“So, for people, it becomes normal. I never complained that my performances were trivialised. I am young and I had the chance to be an observer, not so long ago, before being an actor.

“And myself, I trivialised what [Lionel] Messi was doing, what Cristiano Ronaldo was doing, what the great players were doing.

“We are in a consumer society, where ‘it’s good, but do it again’. And the fact that I’m right next door, in Paris… I think playing at PSG doesn’t help much because it’s a divisive team, a divisive club.

“So, of course, it attracts gossip, but it doesn’t bother me because I know what I’m doing and how I do it.”

Mbappe went on to discuss the “arrogant” perception of him, as well as delving into why PSG have, as yet, not been able to win the much-coveted Champions League under their Qatari ownership.

“Reasons to believe that this is my last season in Ligue 1? It’s very simple, I’m a competitor and, when I play, it’s to win.

“And no matter who I play with, no matter my shirt I’m wearing, no matter where, no matter the year, I never settle. I go on vacation, I do a reset, I recover my energy and I come back with the hunger that everyone knows.

“I’m always dissatisfied, so I’m never impressed with what I do. I tell myself I can do it again and better. I have this hunger to win. I don’t want to be on a team just to participate. That’s why sometimes people think I’m arrogant.

“I’m not afraid of failure either, it’s part of a footballer’s career. But I have the deep conviction that I was born to win and I want to show that to everyone.

He continued: “I don’t know what PSG need to do to win the Champions League, it’s not a question for me.

“You have to talk to the people who make the team, who organise the squad, who build this club. I just try to do my job the best I can. I was best player, top scorer for the fifth consecutive year in Ligue 1.

“A lot of things make me proud. First, to have continued to win titles, which is what we play for. No matter what the title, it’s the most difficult thing, that’s what all the players fight for.

“And, of course, I’m delighted to have maintained my personal level, with a season of around 50 goals. I had outstanding moments, outstanding performances, although I think I could still do better.”

“My position is very clear,” he said. “I don’t want to repeat it every time: if Kylian wants to stay, we want him to stay. But he needs to sign a new contract.

“We don’t want to lose the best player in the world for free. We can’t do that. This is a French club.

“He said he would never leave for free. If he changes his mind today, it’s not my fault. We don’t want to lose the best player in the world for free, that’s very clear.”