Zürcher Nachrichten - Mbappe future focuses all attention as PSG face Real Madrid

EUR -
AED 4.046948
AFN 78.278251
ALL 98.923064
AMD 426.495569
ANG 1.972463
AOA 1009.805975
ARS 1185.295698
AUD 1.834938
AWG 1.98463
AZN 1.869557
BAM 1.956229
BBD 2.206915
BDT 132.799155
BGN 1.956037
BHD 0.41521
BIF 3248.972258
BMD 1.101807
BND 1.476431
BOB 7.552692
BRL 6.691712
BSD 1.092955
BTN 94.214829
BWP 15.427597
BYN 3.576902
BYR 21595.415078
BZD 2.195512
CAD 1.565332
CDF 3164.389655
CHF 0.92911
CLF 0.02875
CLP 1103.272628
CNY 8.086494
CNH 8.133451
COP 4874.669141
CRC 561.13083
CUC 1.101807
CUP 29.197883
CVE 110.289714
CZK 25.174057
DJF 194.63538
DKK 7.467684
DOP 68.565986
DZD 146.786018
EGP 56.951985
ERN 16.527103
ETB 144.120748
FJD 2.574427
FKP 0.865666
GBP 0.859398
GEL 3.03545
GGP 0.865666
GHS 16.941796
GIP 0.865666
GMD 78.780653
GNF 9459.20546
GTQ 8.429812
GYD 228.67124
HKD 8.550203
HNL 27.965266
HRK 7.533497
HTG 143.022048
HUF 408.704267
IDR 18649.29363
ILS 4.177666
IMP 0.865666
INR 95.380172
IQD 1431.833839
IRR 46399.830054
ISK 144.893197
JEP 0.865666
JMD 172.597109
JOD 0.781074
JPY 160.187847
KES 142.628755
KGS 95.920116
KHR 4373.980117
KMF 495.265851
KPW 991.600287
KRW 1629.047581
KWD 0.33896
KYD 0.910804
KZT 566.146862
LAK 23676.305361
LBP 97932.344575
LKR 326.80323
LRD 218.594022
LSL 21.28707
LTL 3.253349
LVL 0.666472
LYD 6.078417
MAD 10.445141
MDL 19.406349
MGA 5116.123198
MKD 61.501893
MMK 2313.116597
MNT 3867.086692
MOP 8.74744
MRU 43.269088
MUR 49.471398
MVR 16.978471
MWK 1895.216078
MXN 22.921522
MYR 4.955969
MZN 70.40288
NAD 21.28707
NGN 1729.010437
NIO 40.219742
NOK 12.084827
NPR 150.747147
NZD 1.984536
OMR 0.424166
PAB 1.092955
PEN 4.060847
PGK 4.513052
PHP 63.329101
PKR 306.806433
PLN 4.286966
PYG 8763.043147
QAR 3.984193
RON 4.976751
RSD 117.150707
RUB 94.729177
RWF 1547.44675
SAR 4.13775
SBD 9.170619
SCR 15.943823
SDG 661.655912
SEK 11.025015
SGD 1.485885
SHP 0.865847
SLE 25.077209
SLL 23104.340809
SOS 624.634298
SRD 40.604893
STD 22805.178119
SVC 9.564143
SYP 14325.206258
SZL 21.27296
THB 38.130781
TJS 11.875092
TMT 3.867342
TND 3.369255
TOP 2.580543
TRY 41.877694
TTD 7.412661
TWD 36.333154
TZS 2937.687091
UAH 45.022684
UGX 4056.909068
USD 1.101807
UYU 46.499364
UZS 14172.497332
VES 80.724907
VND 28657.997253
VUV 137.791365
WST 3.132669
XAF 656.104019
XAG 0.036257
XAU 0.000362
XCD 2.977688
XDR 0.815979
XOF 656.109975
XPF 119.331742
YER 270.35586
ZAR 21.652817
ZMK 9917.558102
ZMW 30.467104
ZWL 354.78137
  • CMSC

    0.0400

    22.21

    +0.18%

  • RIO

    -2.2400

    52.32

    -4.28%

  • NGG

    -0.1600

    62.74

    -0.26%

  • GSK

    -0.7100

    34.13

    -2.08%

  • BP

    -1.0600

    26.11

    -4.06%

  • BTI

    0.1200

    39.55

    +0.3%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0200

    8.36

    -0.24%

  • SCS

    -0.4600

    9.74

    -4.72%

  • RBGPF

    60.2700

    60.27

    +100%

  • AZN

    -0.8900

    64.9

    -1.37%

  • BCC

    -1.9600

    89.93

    -2.18%

  • CMSD

    -0.1000

    22.38

    -0.45%

  • BCE

    -1.2100

    20.87

    -5.8%

  • RELX

    -0.2200

    45.31

    -0.49%

  • VOD

    -0.1600

    8.19

    -1.95%

  • JRI

    0.2100

    11.47

    +1.83%

Mbappe future focuses all attention as PSG face Real Madrid
Mbappe future focuses all attention as PSG face Real Madrid

Mbappe future focuses all attention as PSG face Real Madrid

As Paris Saint-Germain prepare to face Real Madrid in the Champions League, the French club hope a victory in the tie could yet help convince Kylian Mbappe to stay rather than move to the Spanish capital.

Text size:

The clock continues to tick down on the World Cup-winning striker's contract in Paris which expires in June, five years after he joined his hometown team from Monaco in a 180 million-euro ($204m) deal.

It is understood PSG turned down an equivalent offer from Real last August to keep Mbappe for at least one more season and team him up in attack with Lionel Messi and Neymar.

That seemed to prove money is no object for the Qatar-owned club, but it appears that all the money in the world may not be enough to convince Mbappe, now 23, to stay at the Parc des Princes.

Real's pursuit of the France star goes back to when he was a young teenager and they invited him and his parents to take in a game at the Santiago Bernabeu, having Zinedine Zidane meet him at their training ground.

He opted to sign for Monaco then, and he chose PSG in 2017 despite again being linked with Real, yet an eventual move to Madrid has always seemed inevitable.

Mbappe has been the top scorer in Ligue 1 in the last three seasons and despite the arrival of Messi, he has remained PSG's most decisive player by a distance in this campaign.

On Friday, he scored the winner against Rennes to move on to 21 goals for the season, more than Messi, Neymar, Angel Di Maria and Mauro Icardi put together.

"He is already one of the greatest players in PSG's history," captain Marquinhos told broadcaster TF1. When asked if he had tried to convince Mbappe to stay, he added: "Of course."

- No decision taken -

In Paris, they are clinging to the hope Mbappe could change his mind if Mauricio Pochettino's team beat Madrid in their Champions League last-16 tie, with the first leg at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday to be followed by the return in Spain on March 9.

"I have not made my decision," Mbappe told Amazon Prime last week.

"The fact we are playing against Real Madrid changes a lot of things.

"Even though I am free to do so, I am not going to go and talk to our opponents. I am focused on beating Real Madrid and then we will see."

Mbappe has won every domestic honour with PSG several times over but has not been able to win the Champions League, coming closest in 2020 when they lost the final to Bayern Munich.

Pochettino, though, played down the significance of the clash with Real in terms of Mbappe's career.

"I don't think such an important decision could come down to one match or one tie," he told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser.

"He has lots of people around him who I am sure are advising him in the best way. He will make a decision after the tie."

It is a pivotal moment for PSG. This season has simply confirmed that, while a 34-year-old Messi is on the wane and Neymar remains plagued by injury, Mbappe represents the future.

- Real seek new talisman -

A loss to Real, followed by Mbappe confirming his departure would feel like a humiliation for a club still chasing elusive Champions League glory, 11 years on from the Qatar Sports Investments takeover.

Meanwhile, regardless of the outcome of this tie, Madrid need a new talisman.

Karim Benzema is 34 and Luka Modric will soon be 37, while Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard have been increasingly sidelined under Carlo Ancelotti.

Vinicius Junior is now confirming his potential and adding Mbappe in attack is a mouth-watering prospect.

Since their splurge on Hazard in 2019, Real have been quiet in the transfer market with some believing the club has not only been absorbing the financial consequences of the pandemic but also saving funds for their Mbappe pursuit.

Money has also been directed towards renovating the Bernabeu, and Real would love to have Mbappe spearheading a new-look team in a new-look stadium.

B.Brunner--NZN