A former Paris Saint-Germain winger has claimed that the star-studded side he once played for "will go backwards" if they let Kylian Mbappe leave.
The French club brought in seven new signings ahead of the 2021/22 season as they aim to reclaim the Ligue 1 title and possibly win their first UEFA Champions League trophy.
The one thorn in their title plans is Mbappe, who is widely linked with a move to Real Madrid, as his contract is set to expire at the end of the campaign.
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If they cannot agree to a new deal with the forward, the Parisian club could be forced to sell him in the January transfer window if they hope to get back at least some of the money they spent to buy him.
The 22-year-old openly admitted that he wanted to leave the Parc des Princes in the most recent transfer window, and his mother recently stated that Kylian wants to be at "the centre of a sporting project" and "needs constant challenges", which could spell bad news for Les Parisiens.
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Former France international and PSG star Jerome Rothen has now shared his concerns about Mbappe potentially leaving the club.
"If Mbappe leaves for free, PSG will go backwards, I am sure," he told RMC Sport.
"It's a chance to have one of the best players in the world. He is the player who best represents Paris Saint-Germain today, the player who often makes the difference and makes you win the big games.
"It must be shown to Mbappe and his entourage that the project is around Mbappe, not anyone else. It's not around Lionel Messi or Neymar.
"Of course, Lionel Messi remains Lionel Messi. Except that today, we see he can disappear for 20 or 30 minutes."
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