Mauricio Pochettino Rebukes Speculation that He and Kylian Mbappe Plan to Exit PSG

In recent weeks, speculations about Mauricio Pochettino's future at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have intensified, with several reports from France claiming that the Argentine manager is set to be sacked from the club.
Sputnik
PSG head coach Mauricio Pochettino has made a sensational claim about himself and Kylian Mbappe, saying both of them will stay with the Paris-based club during the 2022-23 season.

The ex-Tottenham boss' declaration is in complete contrast to what the newspapers in France have claimed in the past couple of days, with Pochettino set to be on his way out of the Ligue 1 club.

According to French media outlet Le Parisien, the club's Qatari owners are extremely upset with the 50-year-old's inability to guide PSG to Champions League glory despite the arrival of Lionel Messi at the Parc des Princes this term.

Unlike Pochettino, who has reportedly fallen out of favour at the club, Mbappe's situation is rather intriguing because the Ligue 1 giants want him to stay in the French capital at any cost.

They have often offered to make him the world's highest-paid footballer, ahead of both Neymar and Messi.

But the World Cup winner has been dilly dallying over a proposed extension and has yet to agree to a new deal which would keep him in the city of lights beyond June 2022, when his current contract with PSG expires.

Reportedly, Mbappe has his eyes set on a move to Real Madrid because he has long desired to play for the Spanish giants, who are set to be crowned La Liga champions during this weekend.

Moreover, Mbappe has quite often spoken about achieving success in European competitions, something which has eluded him in Paris and that could be one of the main factors behind his potential switch to Madrid.

However, Pochettino dismissed all such rumours during a press conference on Thursday, insisting that both he and the French national were going to stay with PSG.

When reporters asked him about the likelihood of PSG keeping him as manager and Mbappe agreeing to a contract extension at the club, Pochettino responded: "100 percent in both cases".

When the former Southampton head coach was prodded about why he was so optimistic that the 23-year-old footballer would not leave PSG, he added: "It's my feeling today, what I perceive today. That's what I can say now. Of course, it's football and you never know what can happen. But when asked on what I think today, that's my answer."

Pochettino's remarks about Mbappe's future with the 10-time French top flight winners come in the backdrop of his mother meeting PSG's owners in Doha alongside club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

Yet tying Mbappe down to a fresh deal won't be easy for PSG, especially at a time when the club is in disarray, with divisions within the dressing room evident and both fans and former players slamming Pochettino's men for having a serious attitude problem.

Only time would tell us where Mbappe stays or goes in the near future.
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