French football star, Kylian Mbappe has announced his departure for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the end of the season, with plans to join Real Madrid.
The 25-year-old made the official announcement about his PSG exit on Friday evening, May 10, confirming earlier speculations from February.
This move brings Real Madrid closer to securing the talented French international, who is widely recognized as one of the best players globally.
Mbappé’s final home game for PSG will be against Toulouse at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.
Following this, he is scheduled to play his last match for the club in the French Cup final against Lyon on May 15.
In an Instagram video, Kylian Mbappé expressed his gratitude and emotions about leaving PSG after several years.
He said, “Hi everyone, it’s Kylian. I wanted to speak to you. I’ve always said that I would speak with you when the time comes and so I wanted to announce to you all that it’s my last year at Paris Saint-Germain.
“I will not extend and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks. I will play my last game at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.
“It’s a lot of emotions, many years where I had the chance and the great honour to be a member of the biggest French club, one of the best in the world which allowed me to arrive here, to have my first experience in a club with a lot of pressure, to grow as a player of course, by being alongside some of the best in history, some of the greatest champions, to meet a lot of people, to grow as a man as well with all the glory and the mistakes I’ve made.”
Kylian Mbappe thanked all five managers he worked under at PSG and praised the club’s supporters, emphasizing the deep bond he shares with the team.
The five managers are Unai Emery, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Christophe Galtier and Luis Enrique .
Mbappé hinted at his next challenge, likely to be with Real Madrid, as sources indicate ongoing negotiations since February.
He added, “Despite everything that can happen on the outside, all this media hype that surrounds the club sometimes, there are some real club lovers who want to protect it and make it shine, and it’s great, and I know that with all these people, this club is in great hands.
“It’s hard, and I never thought it would be this difficult to announce that, to leave my country, France, the Ligue 1, a championship I have always known but I think, I needed this, a new challenge, after seven years.”
“To the fans, I have not always lived up to the love you gave me. I loved PSG for seven years.”
Following the announcement, Mbappé joined PSG’s supporters for an end-of-season gathering, expressing his appreciation for their unwavering support.
He emphasized his enduring connection with PSG and promised to continue following the club closely even after his departure.
Mbappe said, “It’s a club that I will keep in my memory my entire life. I will tell everybody, my whole life, that I had the chance to play here and I won’t be a player anymore, but I will continue to watch every game of course, because it’s a club that I will always be interested in and I will always closely follow up its news.
“It was me, with my qualities and defects, but I tried to give the best version of myself during those seven years. But beforehand I want to say thank you because without you all I would have never experienced half of the emotions I felt. And just for that, I am grateful for life. Thank you all.
“I hope we will finish this year with a last trophy. We are going to have good moments for what’s left, and believe that you will remain in my heart forever. Ici c’est Paris. Goodbye.”
Although he didn’t confirm his next destination, reports suggest his inclination towards joining Real Madrid.
Kylian Mbappé’s journey with PSG began in 2017 when he was signed from AS Monaco for a record-breaking fee of €180 million, making him the most expensive teenager in football history and the second-most expensive player ever, behind Neymar.
KanyiDaily recalls that Kylian Mbappe was alleged to be considering a move to Liverpool instead of Real Madrid.
