PSG have 15-man 'bomb squad' with Mbappe, World Cup winner and ex-Liverpool star
Since their Qatari takeover in 2011, Paris Saint-Germain can be accused of pandering to big-name players on countless occasions.
But if you presumed that they'd continue to massage Kylian Mbappe's ego after the French superstar told club chiefs that he wouldn't be signing a contract extension, you'd be wrong. Mbappe, who's just entered the final year of his current deal, may've snubbed an £11.6million per week offer from Saudi Arabia but has found himself as one of 15 outcasts who weren't selected to go on PSG's pre-season tour of Asia.
The Ligue 1 champions, now managed by former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique after dismissing Christophe Galtier following just one season in charge, have told the 24-year-old that he either leaves the club this summer for a significant fee or agrees to sign an extension. PSG officials believe that he's already negotiated a deal with Real Madrid to join them in July 2024 on a free transfer.
But Mbappe isn't the only senior star who faces an uncertain future, as he trains in Paris with a group nicknamed the 'bomb squad' ahead of the new season. Ex- Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is among the 15 unwanted players, having endured an injury-hit loan spell with Roma last season under Jose Mourinho.
Wijnaldum left Anfield for PSG in the summer of 2021, the same period when the French giants signed Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Donnarumma. But the Netherlands international hasn't been able to rediscover the kind of form which made him undroppable for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool before he decided to embark on a new challenge.
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As part of three World Cup winners in the 15 'undesirables', German playmaker Julian Draxler continues his slumping career by training away from his regular team-mates. The former Schalke wonderkid was signed by PSG in 2017 and is close to making his 200th appearance for the club.
They've largely been forgettable ones, though, and he only managed to play 18 games while recently on loan at Benfica. With a contract until next summer, this could be the beginning of the end in Paris for Draxler, who turns 30 in September and was linked with Newcastle in 2022.
Kylian Mbappe has been playing for PSG's reserves in during pre-season (Aurelien Meunier - PSG/PSG via Getty Images)Have your say! Should Paris Saint-Germain sell Kylian Mbappe this summer? Join the debate in the comments section.
A reigning world champion without a place in Enrique's plans is gritty Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes, another player who was loaned out last term. Having opted to join PSG over Chelsea when he left Zenit St Petersburg back in January 2019, the 29-year-old helped Thomas Tuchel's side reach the following year's Champions League final before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.
After helping Argentina win the World Cup in December during his solid loan spell with Juventus, Parades is now back in Paris and seeking an exit. Negotiations with Lazio recently broke down but he does have an agreement with Galatasaray on the back burner should he not find a more suitable option.
Sunderland target Colin Dagba has been deemed surplus to requirements, too, with the 24-year-old right-back spending last season with Strasbourg. Ex- Borussia Dortmund defender Abdou Diallo also finds himself out in the cold, with a serious knee injury ravaging his most recent campaign on loan at RB Leipzig.
The unmentioned 10 are academy prospects Arnau Tenas, Nehemiah Fernandez-Veliz, Djeidi Gassama, Moutanabi Bodiang, Mathyas Randriamamy, Kenny Nagera, Timothee Pembele, Vimoj Muntu Wa Mungu and Edouard Michut. The latter is a talented defensive midfielder who spent last term with Sunderland but rejected an offer to stay permanently, and he's now been tipped to join Leeds.
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