"I'm not the one to talk of him" - Leandro Paredes opens up on his non-existent 'relationship' with PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe, speaks about Lionel Messi
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Leandro Paredes, who is out on a season-long loan at Juventus, has shed light on his relationship with Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.
Paredes, 28, joined Juventus on loan earlier this summer with an option to buy for €22.6 million. After Christophe Galtier's arrival as new manager, he fell down the pecking order behind Marco Verratti, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz.
A defensive midfielder with a keen eye for a pass, Paredes plied his trade for three and a half seasons at the Parc des Princes. He won nine trophies, including three Ligue 1 titles, with Mbappe.
In an interview with AS, Paredes said about his experience sharing a dressing room with Mbappe:
"I'm not the one to talk about him; I had a relationship with those I had a relationship with, and those I didn't, I can't talk to you about."
𝐌𝐍𝐌 
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@KMbappe, @neymarjr and Lionel Messi are in unstoppable form this season. https://t.co/ua4WI80SVO
Explaining his transfer that meant he was no longer playing with Lionel Messi, Paredes added:
"It was one of the things that was in the balance, being close to Leo to enjoy him, to continue associating myself in the best way, but when we compared everything I decided to go out and look for minutes."
Paredes and Messi played together in Argentina's 3-0 win over Honduras in a friendly on Saturday (September 24). When asked about the opposition's marking of the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, Paredes said:
"We realised after two minutes that he had a player who followed him everywhere, even when they had the ball. He played an incredible game, and for us, it is important that he knows how to solve difficulties like that."
Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team. 🔥🇦🇷 https://t.co/FSmijssiIl
Paredes has registered three goals and ten assists in 117 appearances for PSG, while he has laid out one assist in five games for Juventus. He's expected to feature for Argentina at the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year.
PSG talisman Lionel Messi heaps praise on superstar Kylian Mbappe
Speaking to TUDN (via Canal Supporters), Lionel Messi paid tribute to his PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe. He said:
"Kylian is a different player. He is a complete player; he has proven that for years, and in the years to come, he will certainly be among the best!"
While Messi has registered six goals and eight assists for the Parisians this season, Mbappe has netted ten times in nine games.