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Kylian Mbappe has been reinstated into Paris St Germain’s first team after being left out for the Ligue 1 season opener against Lorient. The move comes after weeks of tension between Mbappe and PSG due to an ongoing contract stand-off. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has stated that they will not allow Mbappe to leave on a free transfer. The club spent €180 million to sign him and are determined to resolve the dispute. Reuters reported
Soccer Football – Ligue 1 – Paris St Germain v Lorient – Parc des Princes, Paris, France – August 12, 2023 Paris St Germain’s Kylian Mbappe is seen in the stands ahead of the match REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
On August 13, Kylian Mbappe was reintegrated into Paris St Germain’s first team, a day after being excluded from the Ligue 1 season opener against Lorient. Reports suggest that Mbappe had been excluded from the main squad for several weeks due to an ongoing contract dispute.
PSG began their title defense against Lorient at home on Saturday, with Mbappe observing the goalless draw from the stands alongside new signing Ousmane Dembele, who is also a World Cup winner and had completed his transfer to Paris earlier that day.
Tensions between Mbappe and PSG have been high since the French captain announced that he would not renew his contract, which expires at the end of the 2023-24 season, leaving him free to leave Paris.
In a statement, PSG announced, “Following very constructive, positive talks between PSG and Kylian Mbappe before the game vs Lorient, the player has been reinstated into the first-team training squad this morning.”
Mbappe, aged 24, was also excluded from PSG’s squad for their pre-season tour of Asia last month. He is one of several players rumored to be leaving Parc des Princes before the transfer window closes on September 1.
PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi has stated that they will not allow Mbappe to leave on a free transfer after the club spent 180 million euros ($196.99 million) to sign him.
Prior to the Lorient game, manager Luis Enrique expressed hope that PSG could find a resolution to the dispute with Mbappe, noting that the club has previous experience in resolving contract issues with the striker.
Mbappe, who has been the top scorer in Ligue 1 for the past five seasons, was also set to leave on a free transfer at the end of the 2021-22 campaign. However, he signed a contract extension last year after PSG rejected a bid from Real Madrid.
PSG will face Toulouse in their next Ligue 1 match on Saturday.
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Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Hyderabad and Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon
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