"Better to be king in your village" - Ex-Arsenal star urges Kylian Mbappe to snub Real Madrid in favor of PSG stay
Former Arsenal star Samir Nasri has advised Kylian Mbappe to remain at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and reject a move to Real Madrid in the summer. He believes that the Frenchman should focus on being the 'king of his village' instead of leaving in search of the Champions League with Los Blancos.
Speaking to French daily Journal du Dimanche, Nasri stated that Mbappe would be better off being at PSG as it is his local club. The former Arsenal star added that he would have remained at Marseille if they were owned by Qatar. He said:
"He is from the Paris region. I would stay at PSG instead of going to Real Madrid to win the Champions League. If Marseille had been owned by Qatar when I was at the club, I would never have left. I think it's better to be king in your village."
Kylian Mbappe's contract at PSG expires at the end of the season, and he is set to become a free agent. He has admitted that he will not renew his contract, and reports suggest he will be giving up his €100 million bonus to get a free move to Real Madrid.
Kylian Mbappe admits his Real Madrid dream remains alive
Kylian Mbappe was quizzed by BBC if he was signaling an end to his Real Madrid dream after penning a new deal at PSG. He stated in 2021 that he was not giving up on anything and kept the doors open to a move away from the Ligue 1 champions in the future.
He said:
"You never know what can happen in the future. I give up to think about the future, I only think about the present and the present is I signed a new contract for three years more at Paris St-Germain."
He added:
"It was last week I made the decision to stay. First of all I spoke to the president of Real Madrid because I have a lot of respect for him and the club. I think it was important to say it personally that I wasn't going to go. To be a great player [you have] to be honest and everything was great and good because we have a good relationship."
Kylian Mbappe added that he was still focused on his game at PSG and said:
"I am 100% focused on my game. I didn't have to follow [the speculation]. During the season I was focused 100% because I had individual goals and collective goals. It was important to stay focused on the pitch and make my decision when the season was over."
Apart from Real Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea have also been linked with a move for Kylian Mbappe. Al Hilal also made a move for the Frenchman in the summer, but he rejected a move to the Middle East.