Thierry Henry has told Kylian Mbappe to remember that football is a team game amid reports he's unhappy at Paris Saint-Germain.
Mbappe is said to feel betrayed by the PSG hierarchy, a mere five months after signing a colossal new three-year contract which sees him earn a reported £42.5million per season and allows him to have a say on the club's sporting decisions, such as transfers and managerial appointments.
But that apparently isn't enough for the French superstar, who allegedly wants to leave his home city during the January transfer window after losing patience with the PSG project. It's believed that Mbappe's ongoing role a central striker - a decision made by new manager Christoph Galtier in order to accommodate older teammates Lionel Messi and Neymar - is one source of frustration, having repeatedly hinted that he'd prefer to play with more freedom instead.
But Henry, a bona fide footballing legend in France, who Mbappe aspires to emulate in his career, reckons that the 23-year-old needs to adjust his priorities and become more of a team player - just like he did for Barcelona and the Les Bleus.
"Nobody likes to be exposed to what you're not good at. You just don't like it," the Arsenal icon stated of Mbappe on CBS Sports. "But there's something that's bigger than everyone else: the club.
"But did they (PSG) make him feel that the club was the most important thing? Or did they make him feel like he was more important than the club? I think at one point for me, I didn't like to play high and wide at Barca - I hated it! But I had to do it for the team.
"I didn't like that after 100 caps for France and I don't know how many goals I scored - 51 - I had to go and play on the left. I didn't hear anyone saying, 'Oh, what a nice gesture to go and play on the left' for others who have less goals than me and less caps.
"But I always remember, there is only one rule: if the boss is asking you to do something, you do it for the good of the team. And your team is winning! If your team was losing, I would have understood your argument."
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With all of the debate going on off the pitch, Mbappe took care of business on it just a few hours after the bombshell news of his desire to depart broke. The forward scored a penalty to give PSG the lead in their Champions League group-stage clash with Benfica. But it wouldn't guarantee three points, as the Portuguese giants equalised midway through the second half.
Mbappe was substituted in the 90th minute after picking up a knock, and the Parisians couldn't find a winning goal and slumped to a 1-1 draw in front of their own fans. Post-match, the conversation was dominated by the World Cup winner's uncertain future, but Galtier claimed that Mbappe's unhappiness was merely a "rumour."
"I don't know anything. I just know that a rumour became a piece of information and then almost a statement," the PSG boss declared. "I haven't seen anything different, I find it surprising that this happens before an important match.
"I've never heard of any discussions. Kylian played a very rhythmic, very intense match. He gave an answer to this rumour. I don't think this rumour has disrupted the preparation of the match."
