Kylian Mbappe has made Paris Saint-Germain history just hours after sensational reports about his future emerged.
The French forward became the club’s top scorer in the Champions League as he put his side 1-0 up against Benfica, shortly after PSG’s sporting director denied reports that Mbappe wanted to leave the club in January.
Stories emerged on Tuesday that PSG star Mbappe wanted to leave the club he had been at since 2017 during the January transfer window.
French outlet RMC reported it, but Marca took the story further by suggesting Mbappe felt ‘betrayed’ by PSG over the terms of his new contract and after Real Madrid transfer talks failed. .
Now, however, PSG have responded to the claim – saying they know nothing of Mbappe’s reported intentions.
Speaking to RMC Sport, PSG sporting director Luis Campos said: “It’s a categorical denial on our part. Whether he’s happy or not, that’s a question you have to ask him. C It’s a very personal question.
“I see Kylian working. Kylian is an extraordinary professional. For example, he played sick in the last match at Reims, he made the effort for the team.
“I see Kylian arriving with his teammates, happy every day and with a huge desire to work.”
“I am very surprised because I am with Kylian Mbappe every day and he never asked me, and I just asked the president, he never asked to leave in January.
“I don’t think he thinks about it because if he does, he’ll tell me. He never told me, I know he never told the president, that he wanted to leave in January.
“It’s information, it’s not a statement, you have to be very clear, which comes out a few hours before a very, very important match for us.”
The Parisians then took on the Portuguese outfit just hours after the Mbappe news broke.
But despite all the game talk surrounding his future, the 23-year-old blocked the noise and converted a penalty awarded to the home side after an ill-timed tackle from Antonio Silva.
Mbappe’s spot-kick makes him PSG’s top scorer in the Champions League with 31 goals, beating Edinson Cavani’s tally of 30.
It was also the former Monaco striker’s 37th goal in the competition overall.
Ahead of the star’s record goal, however, Campos expressed how important it was to reassure supporters that, as far as he knows, the new record holder will be at PSG for the foreseeable future.
“It’s important to appear in front of the press and that’s why I’m here. We have rumors every day, it’s normal when you have three of the five most important players in the world,” he added.
“It’s normal to have rumours. In my opinion yes [he’s staying in January]. He never told me anything. Or me… And I just asked the president. For me, it is clear that Kylian Mbappé is staying to follow his contract with PSG.