The forward for Paris Saint-Germain, Kylian Mbappe, has refuted social media rumours that he will quit the team in January.
It was alleged that Mbappe wanted to leave the Ligue 1 champions as soon as possible because he felt "betrayed" by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
The 24-year-old claimed that he was shocked by the information.
“I never asked for my departure in January.
“The information that came out on the day of the [Champions League match against Benfica], I did not understand it. I am not involved in this information neither directly nor indirectly,” Mbappe told reporters after PSG’s 1-0 win over Marseille in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
“I was as shocked by this news as everyone else. People may think I’m involved, but I’m not at all.
“I was taking a nap, my entourage was at my little brother’s game. We were stunned when we found out.
“Afterwards, we had to deal with it, we had a match to play. I just wanted to say that it’s completely false, I’m very happy here,” Mbappe added.
In a 2018 interview with Time, Mbappé spoke about the sacrifices he made as a teenager to focus on his football development: “I did not have the moments of so-called normal people during adolescence, like going out with friends, enjoying good times.” But despite missing out on a “normal” life, Mbappé states he is “living the life he always dreamed of”. Just over four years after making his professional debut he had gotten over 50 million Instagram followers. While he admits his “life has been totally turned upside down” since he first entered the spotlight, he says he is “happy”.
On 25 June 2021, Kylian’s brother Ethan signed an “aspiring” contract with Paris Saint-Germain in a deal lasting until 2024.