Kylian Mbappé tells CNN Sport why he stayed with Paris Saint-Germain even when his brother PSG signed Neymar Jr.
“I wanted to play with the team and keep playing with them. Even though it hurts me to see I won’t play for the team anymore, I am still supporting them.”
Mbappé became Paris Saint-Germain’s youngest ever player in 2014, aged 16, and he became a world record holder for most goals in a calendar year in 2016 after scoring 33 goals in 13 games. Paris Saint-Germain made him the club’s youngest ever and youngest ever player to ever score 50 goals.
That helped the club win a second-place finish in Ligue 1 last season.
But PSG then decided to do a big business decision and sign Neymar Jr. for seven billion euros ($7.5 billion).
“I am happy for my family because it takes time to play the same sports with so many different people,” Mbappe told CNN Sport. “I was happy for my family because they were able to watch me play my best.”
But he didn’t want to come off as a disloyalist to Neymar.
“Of course I am happy for Neymar. This is just a business situation. Neymar is a really great player and a great guy. But he is a young player and I like to keep going with my development.”
Mbappe’s first season with PSG was a disappointment because he played in just 15 league games.
He made an amazing leap forward when he played in 20 league matches in 2017, when he scored 29 goals.
“I can play in the best leagues in the world. I can get more goals. I can play in bigger markets, so it is not important where I play,” said Mbappé. “I want to win trophies. I don
