The sports director of Paris Saint-Germain, Leonardo Araújo, denied having offered Kylian Mbappé a contract of 50 million euros net per season and assured that the forward’s renewal will not depend on money.
“We have not made him a precise offer. There is an important element: I think the last thing we will put in that contract will be the salary. We want to put him in the best conditions so that he becomes the best possible player,” Leonardo assured in an interview that published this Thursday by the newspaper L’Équipe.
He added that they have barely talked about money with Mbappé, whose contract ends on June 30, after he refused to extend it last summer and asked the club to let him go to Real Madrid.
PSG then rejected an offer from the white club of 180 million euros and tries to convince the player to continue. As published this week by Le Parisien, Leonardo proposed to Mbappé 200 million euros net for the next two seasons, double what, according to various media, Madrid offers him.
The sports manager of the club, who denied that offer, assured that money is not what will convince the player. “Kylian has such an important value that I think he’s cool about it. He’s secondary. Putting the salary will take us two minutes,” he said.
For Leonardo, the issue is more one of “sensation”, since, until now, French players “have the goal of playing abroad” because “there was no club of the size of the current PSG”.
“Kylian is in full reflection. What he felt last Saturday was magnificent. A bond is being created and not only with him. I don’t want to be cloying, but other clubs don’t have ultras like that. That can have an influence,” he said in reference to the applause received by the player from the Parc des Princes funds after scoring two goals and providing an assist against Saint-Etienne.
Leonardo pointed out that his job is to make Mbappé feel important at a club where Messi and Neymar are.
“Kylian, he is the best in the world right now. Messi has been at that level, for me he still is, but it is normal that, little by little, they are arriving. It is not about judging who is the best. One is 23 years old and the other 34,” he said.
He added that they will not throw in the towel: “As long as there is no signature, we are going to try everything to keep it. I don’t think it will be decided by the tie (of Champions) against Madrid. We have a generation that arrives, young people in the center of training, ambition to make other investments. What Qatar has done in ten years is to put PSG among the greats. The club is loved, admired, respected, “he said.
EFE
