Would you have loved and then lost or never loved at all? Or would you have loved…been pretty certain you were going to lose that person, then kept that person only to lose them two years later? That’s the negative side of PSG’s fans’ relationship with their superstar forward Kylian Mbappe. The best French player since Zidane. World Cup Winner, and one of two male players to score a hat trick in a World Cup.
Mbappe is PSG’s highest-scoring player. He’s been part of teams containing legends such as Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Angel Di Maria. Yet, Mbappe never won the Champions League with PSG. The one trophy that has eluded the French club since their Qatari takeover in 2011.
Positives in Paris
Kylian Mbappe was originally signed on loan from AS Monaco with an obligation to buy for €180 million. Mbappe has flourished in Ligue 1 (French First Division) during his time in Paris. He’s scored 175 goals in 205 games. He’s been the top scorer in the league for six out of his seven seasons. Mbappe has also been named the Ligue 1 player of the season five times.
There’s no argument you can make that Mbappe hasn’t dominated in France. Some people have said it’s too easy for him in that league, but this is the “positives,” section of the article.
Despite the lack of team success in the Champions League, Mbappe has performed well. His 42 goals since 2017 in the UCL are 3rd in that period. The five goals and six assists in the 2019/2020 UCL were crucial in helping PSG to the final against Bayern Munich.
A Parisian in Paris
It has to be said that playing for your hometown club is meaningful. Kylian Mbappe was born in Paris and got to play in front of people he grew up with. Having grown up in a suburb of Paris, Bondy, Mbappe got to represent the club where he was born for seven seasons.
This means something for kids growing up in Paris who dream of playing professional football to get to see one of their playing at home. No stat or trophy can quantify that impact.
A Frenchman in France
French superstars don’t play in France. More than any other big European nation, France’s players don’t play in their domestic league. Only five players on the 2022 World Cup squad applied their trade in Ligue 1. Compared to 25 English players playing in the Premier League, 18 of Spain’s World Cup squad played in La Liga, and 21 Germans played in the Bundesliga in their World Cup Squad. This isn’t a new phenomenon.
Yet, Mbappe stayed for seven seasons. Some of his best years playing for his country were followed up the next season or weekend playing in France. The country got to see him perform during his early prime years. Every French football fan across the country from Montpellier to Lille. Like his status as a Parisian, his status as a Frenchman is special and unquantifiable.
Negatives in Paris
He was always destined for Madrid. Mbappe’s legacy at PSG will always be hit with a caveat that he flirted with signing for Real Madrid in 2022. He ended up staying, but to leave only two years after staying seems like a waste.
Despite playing with Neymar since the time he arrived, he never truly clicked with him. Yes, Neymar had injuries, but you never saw the chemistry that was developed with Neymar and Messi with Mbappe. Neymar is at worst a top 10 player in the world, and he and Mbappe should’ve produced an attack that matched their talents.
A huge reason for this was that Neymar thought it was his show and Mbappe…well he thought it was his. Neither of them made the necessary sacrifices for the team to be great. Both weren’t out-of-possession pressers, despite both being athletic enough to do so.
PSG should’ve never been challenged in Ligue 1 during Mbappe’s time. Yet they lost the league in 2021, and only finished one point above Lens last season. All this despite having an annual wage bill about four times the next closest competitor.
Champions League
Yes, Mbappe never won the Champions League with PSG. His best chance came this season. I predicted he would go off against Borussia Dortmund in the Semi-Final. Over two legs Mbappe didn’t score a goal, while his team lost both games 1-0.
There have been crushing losses during his seven seasons to Manchester United and Real Madrid despite leading heading into the second leg.
Now, these losses aren’t all on Mbappe; it’s a team sport. But, it is a stain on the record of a player who since the 2018 World Cup has been unanimously considered a top-five player in the world.
He’s incredible for his country, but in these big UCL knockout games, Mbappe leaves you wanting more. Are our expectations too high? Did Mbappe raise our expectations for him with incredible performances in the World Cup?
“Excuses Season”
As a Kylian Mbappe apologist, let me say that he had five managers in seven seasons. If PSG were an NBA franchise, First Take would call them a dumpster fire of an organization. The lack of consistency in tactical systems doesn’t breed a winning formula in the Champions League.
When you take a look at PSG’s losses, only this year to Dortmund and Manchester United stand out as “failures.” They’ve lost to Real Madrid twice, Bayern Munich twice, and Manchester City during Mbappe’s time at PSG. These are ties that could’ve gone either way. Mbappe has just been a bit unlucky.
PSG has had no plan while Mbappe has been there. Their recruitment of players has been a joke. They never spend money on players who fit, rather than just spending on superstars. This past summer, PSG spent 160 million euros on two under-25 strikers. Few if any successful teams play with two strikers. Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo-Muani have combined for an incredible…17 league goals between them. That’s about nine and a half million euros per goal.
Potential Mbappe Replacments
No one can replace Mbappe’s cultural impact in the French league or PSG. He is a Parasian, better than any other available Parasian. He is a Frenchman, better than any other available Frenchman. You could argue that the two strikers bought this past summer will replace him, but who are we kidding, the PSG owners will want a star.
Victor Osimhen-Napoli Striker
This is quite obvious, many are already making this connection. Osimhen, who is a freak of nature with size and speed gifted by the Gods, is likely leaving Napoli this summer. He scored 13 goals in Ligue 1 with Lille during the Covid-shortened 2019-2020 season.
His familiarity with the league along with his unselfishness in a pressing system is a huge plus for PSG. His release clause is “only,” 120 million euros (he’s worth more than that). However, he is a Chelsea fan and there are a lot of rumors linking him there, so he might be a tough get.
Michael Olise-Crystal Palace Winger
He will not be as expensive as others on this list, but he might end up being the best. At 22, Olise is growing too big for Crystal Palace (no offense) and is bound to want to play Champions League football. He was left off of the French national team for this summer’s European Championship. An insane decision.
He could slot in on the left, right, or through the middle. He is French, which if PSG has any strategy, it’s to take lots of young French players on their squad. Olise may favor one more season at Palace to see if they can build on their impressive end to their season under new manager Oliver Glasnow.
Rafael Leao– AC Milan Winger
Rafael Leao is the best player at AC Milan. It would be a downgrade for him to go to PSG. Milan are a historically massive club, unlike PSG. He’s already the main man at AC Milan, so why swap leagues? Money talks. PSG could offer him a boatload of money to become the new face of PSG.
Leao has already played in Ligue 1 and would put up silly numbers in the French league. He, like Osimhen, is an insane mixture of size and speed. His 150 million euro price tag isn’t anything PSG will scoff at, but it could deter them if they decided to take the approach of buying several players to replace Mbappe. They won’t.
Viktor Gyokeres-Sporting CP Striker
43 goals in all competitions, sheesh! A year ago this shout might have sounded a little unhinged, but no one can deny Viktor Gyokeres is an elite striker. He, like Osimhen, is an unselfish presser who plays for the team. The jump from the Portuguese league to the French league wouldn’t be that massive for him.
Gyokeres also has an incredibly fun celebration that is starting to catch on. After a meteoric rise, Gyokeres would be foolish not to consider PSG, considering just a year ago he was in the English second division. His unselfishness and seemingly low ego would fit perfectly into the dressing room Luis Enrique is trying to build at PSG. His 100 million euro release clause would be chump change to the oil-rich PSG owners.
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Featured Image: Getty Images/Julian Finney
