Paris Saint-Germain striker and France international Kylian Mbappe has rejected an offer from Qatar to attend Friday’s World Cup group stage draw for this winter’s finals.
Striker Mbappe is out of contract at the Parc des Princes this summer and he has recently hinted at a move to Madrid while a recent interview suggested that he is open to leaving France. There have been suggestions that PSG are willing to make the 23-year-old their highest earning player by offering him improved terms on Lionel Messi ’s and Neymar’s respective contracts.
Mbappe has found himself caught up in politics due to his future, with French president Emmanuel Macron and former France leader Nicolas Sarkozy contacting him directly to try and persuade him to stay in the French capital, by signing a new contract and rejecting interest from Spain.
Those reports claimed that the moves have political motivations due to the power and influence of PSG’s Qatari ownership in France.
Sarkozy was a key player in helping ensure that the Middle East nation won the race to host the 2022 World Cup over a decade ago, at the same time in which the Qatari-linked ownership completed their purchase of PSG.
From officials in Doha, PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi and sporting director Leonardo were reportedly ordered to ensure Mbappe remains at the club at any cost. Indeed, the superstar striker’s exit in the build-up to the Qatari World Cup would come as a significant PR blow for PSG and their Qatari ownership.
The latest report of Mbappe finding himself caught up in a similar issue has seen him reject an invitation from Qatar for him to be in attendance for Friday’s World Cup draw. The details have been outlined by L’Equipe, who say that the striker has rejected the possibility of being at the event.
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It is claimed that the PSG superstar does not believe he should be there due to his status, believing that France should instead be represented by boss Didier Deschamps and captain Hugo Lloris.
He also does not want his preparation for the weekend’s Ligue 1 clash against Lorient disrupted, with this trip across the world happening 48 hours in advance of that match.
Mbappe has netted 26 goals and provided 18 assists this campaign, making him indisputably the star player of Mauricio Pochettino’s side – without his goal involvements, the side would be struggling to win games. Mbappe’s attacking output this campaign has far exceeded that of his fellow attacking teammates Messi and Neymar, illustrating his importance to PSG.
