13 August 2023 , 06:29
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Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain could return to the negotiating table after an underwhelming start to the season, reports in France claim.
Mbappe's future at the Parc des Princes has been the subject of plenty of speculation this summer. The French international found himself part of PSG's 'bomb squad' as he was left out of the club's pre-season tour, and also missed out when manager Luis Enrique took charge of his first Ligue 1 game on Saturday.
PSG accepted a world-record Al-Hilal bid for the World Cup winner, only for Mbappe to say no to a Saudi switch. Now, after the new manager's opener ended goalless against Lorient, we could see renewed efforts to keep the former Monaco man in the French capital.
According to L'Equipe (via Get French Football News), talks between Mbappe and PSG have reopened. A positive resolution is far from a guarantee, but it has been suggested the arrival of Ousmane Dembele in Paris may be a factor.
Dembele, a fellow France international and friend of PSG's all-time top scorer, was welcomed by Mbappe on social media after completing a £43.5m move from Barcelona. “Welcome home brother! So happy to see you here. The adventure begins!" Mbappe wrote on Instagram.
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If Mbappe is to reach an agreement, it would mark quite the turnaround. The 24-year-old had previously indicated he would not be exercising an option to extend his contract beyond 2024, freeing him up to leave for nothing next summer.
Might Kylian Mbappe stay at PSG after all? Have your say in the comments section
Kylian Mbappe was spotted with Ousmane Dembele on Saturday (Matthieu Mirville/DPPI/REX/Shutterstock)Mbappe wasn't the only senior star absent against Lorient. The likes of Julian Draxler and Gini WIjnaldum have also been frozen out, with summer exits still possible for the pair.
Former Barcelona and Spain boss Luis Enrique used a number of his summer signings. Manuel Ugarte started in central midfield, with Marco Verratti tipped to move on this summer, while there was a new-look front three of Marco Asensio, Lee Kang-in and Goncalo Ramos.
Despite all this, and despite some positive signs, PSG drew a blank. The result left the manager "both happy and frustrated," but many will point to a first blank in any competition since April.
"I'm happy because we were able to play our game," Luis Enrique said. "We put pressure on our opponents in their own half. From a defensive point of view, our match was a 10 out of 10.
"Offensively, of course we had possession, but too often we had attacking players in the middle of their defensive block without creating any danger. In that respect, I preferred the second half. It's still difficult to play and score against a team that only thinks about defending."