Kylian Mbappe’s departure from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is finally official. The news, long awaited for nearly a year, marks the end of an era for the French giants. Kylian Mbappe is reportedly ready to join Real Madrid on a free transfer after informing PSG that he will not renew his contract.
It wasn’t usually a smooth ride. Tensions flared between Mbappe and PSG over the last 12 months as he made it clear he wanted to move on. Even though the brief solution turned into achieved, it was clear that it would not be permanent life.
With a heavy heart, the 22-year-old announced his departure via social media X, formerly known as Twitter. He expressed his gratitude to the fans, coaches and behind-the-scenes crew who have supported him throughout his journey.
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In his emotional message, Mbappe acknowledged the importance of PSG in his profession. He called it “the most important membership in France, one of the best in the international.” He highlighted how PSG gave him a platform to develop as a player, surrounded him with legends and encouraged his improvement.
🚨 BREAKING: Kylian Mbappé confirms he LEAVES Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season.
Real Madrid ⏳⚪️ pic.twitter.com/TTuXxpdOPB
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 10, 2024
Kylian Mbappe wrote, “Hi everyone! It’s Kylian. I wanted to speak to you. I’ve always said to you that I would speak with you when the time was right and so I wanted to tell you that it’s my last year at Paris Saint-Germain. I will not extend and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks. I will play my last game at the Parc des Prince on Sunday. There are lots of emotions, many years where I have had the chance to the great honour to be a member of the biggest club in France, one of the best in the world, which has allowed me to arrive here, to have my first experience at a club with a lot of pressure, to grow as a player and play alongside some of the best in history, some of the great champions, to meet a lot of people, to grow as a man as well with all of the glory and the mistakes that I have made.”
“First of all, I wanted to thank my teammates, all the teammates that I have played with; all of the coaches: Unai Emery, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Christophe Galtier and Luis Enrique; the sporting directors: Leonardo and Luis Campos, for always accompanying me; everyone at the club, those that we don’t see, the people who work in the shadows be it the physios, the intendants, the performance team, everyone in the offices, at the Campus – everyone. All of these incredible people give everything for the club and they deserve this recognition. Despite everything that can happen on the outside, all of this media hype surrounds the club sometimes. There are really people that love the club and want to protect it and make it shine and I know that with all of these people, the club is in great hands.”
“It’s difficult, it’s difficult and I never thought it would be this difficult to announce this, to leave my country – France, to leave Ligue 1, a league that I have always known but I think that I needed this – a new challenge after this year. It’s difficult and there are people that I want to thank above all – the supporters. I know that I am not the most demonstrative player, I have not always lived up to the love that you all gave me over the course of these seven years, but I never wanted to cheat. I always wanted to be effective.”
His gratitude went through the players. He thanked coaches such as Unai Emery, Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino, in addition to sporting directors and regularly omitted guides such as physios and officials. He emphasized their commitment to membership and their key role in achieving it.
Mbappe’s departure suggests that PSG have given up on the “galactico era”, which also saw the departure of Lionel Messi and Neymar last summer. This daring mission, aimed at acquiring some of the biggest stars of the arena, fell short of its ultimate goal – triumph in the Champions League. This season they were again eliminated from the semi-finals.
For PSG, moving forward without their famous participant and main goalscorer could be a mission. Paris-born Mbappe, who joined the club on loan in 2017, has broken several records during his tenure. He passed legends such as Pedro Miguel Pauleta, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani to finish as the club’s top goalscorer.
While Kylian Mbappe embarks on a brand new journey, PSG should rebuild without him. The exit of this talented youngster is a decisive factor for the membership and leaves enthusiasts wondering what the future holds for the Parisian giants.
