UEFA Champions League: PSG can’t expect to keep Kylian Mbappe after latest implosion against Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappe scored twice over both legs of Paris Saint-Germain’s UEFA Champions League round of 16 draw with Real Madrid and it still wasn’t enough to avoid a humiliating exit as the French giants went down 3-2 after they had lost 3-1 on Wednesday in Santiago Bernabeu.

The 23-year-old couldn’t have done much more to get his team through as he also saw two goals disallowed in the Spanish capital, but Mauricio Pochettino’s men still managed to take a total two-goal lead. inflate the last 30 minutes. of the tie.

Mbappe was the subject of pre-match suspicions when he took a dent in training on Monday and went on to play, finishing the lead role for the first hour before France’s compatriot Karim Benzema shadowed him. Such is Mbappe’s unique position in the game (and perhaps in Real Madrid’s future) that he even received a pre-game ovation.

The possibility of the number 7 moving from PSG to Real is now getting closer to reality. This latest European embarrassment made it clear that the Ligue 1 leaders are far from ready to win the Champions League.

Can Mbappe afford to wait to find out if the French capital can remedy these problems over the summer? Unlikely. PSG’s troubles seem to be rooted near the pitch, where they boast about as complete a roster as their UCL rivals. The only solution is a deep cleaning.

Despite the experience gained over the past two editions, when they reached the final in 2019-20 before losing to Bayern Munich and then falling short in the semi-final against Manchester City last season, PSG are backing off again and the signs are already there months now.

Pochettino’s time in charge was an utter failure and Mbappe will recognize this more than most, as the Argentine has guided the last 18 months of his stay in Paris and fulfilled his hopes of winning the club’s first Champions League title. .

There was a moment when PSG looked right to turn down Real’s millions last summer to keep Mbappe on and while the club’s stance won’t have changed, the player probably won’t have that little bit of regret given that he Real may now go all the way to the club. the final recently moved to Stade de France.

The Bondy man shouldn’t be too hard on himself, as he’s been dragging this team around a lot in recent months and in charge for most of Pochettino’s stint, but he might as well wonder if he can really give a little more to succeeding.

If Mbappe decides to stay at PSG for another year or two, which must be a slim chance at this point given the way this loss has ruined the season, he will likely overtake Edinson Cavani as the top scorer. However, will the necessary changes be made to further the success of UCL?

Zinedine Zidane and Arsene Wenger have been touted as a possible double act for Pochettino and come under fire sporting director Leonardo, but how long would it take the French duo or others to make the mindset shift that is so much needed?

Too long for Mbappé to wait and find out is probably the best answer to the truth right now, as he’s seen all this before and made it clear he didn’t want to be part of another disappointment in 2019 when he famously stated that he was hungry for responsibility at the Ligue 1 awards.

Lionel Messi has come in and barely made an impression alongside Mbappe, Sergio Ramos can barely get on the pitch, let alone influence the dressing room like he did at Real, and Neymar has seemed a shadow of his former self for at least a year.

There is no real way to positively change PSG’s situation, given how long they have been able to win the Champions League and now their Qatari owners have missed their chance to see their team become title holders entering the World Cup year .

Mbappe could stay until the 2024 Olympics in Paris and finish his time in France with a potential gold medal, but who knows what the two years between now and then will look like for PSG.

In any case, Mbappe is no longer obliged to think about his future, as the team should not lose a 13-point lead in Le Championnat without other domestic interests to pursue.

The time has come for the French superstar’s decision point and PSG can no longer expect it to end with a contract extension, however short-lived a deal they are willing to accept – Mbappe’s time at his youth club may have come to an end.