Mbappe knows 'we want to keep him' - Jardim offers Monaco fans hope

Kylian Mbappe playing for Monaco

Leonardo Jardim hopes in-demand striker Kylian Mbappe will opt to remain at Monaco but acknowledged the club may struggle to keep their emerging stars.

Mbappe has been heavily linked with Real Madrid and Arsenal after his goals fired Monaco to the Ligue 1 crown and the Champions League semi-finals last season.

Still just 18, many former players have warned the exciting forward against departing Stade Louis II too soon.

And Monaco's Portuguese coach, who has already seen Bernardo Silva join Manchester City, is hopeful of keeping the teenager for the title defence next term.

"I did not talk to him, because he knows how we work, that we want to keep him," he told RMC.

"I think the club and he will make the best decision."

In an ominous indication for nervous Monaco fans, though, Jardim did concede the club's business model is likely to see them consider favourable offers for prized assets.

"I hope to keep the right players," he said.

"It is not [just] me, all the coaches of the world [would] like to keep the best [players].

"But with the Monaco project, maybe it's not possible to always keep the best. We're going to look at what's going to happen. 

"The important thing now is to have 100 per cent focus at [our] work, develop this young talent and afterwards we will look at which players have stayed."