When Paris Saint-Germain assembled a superstar trio made up of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, it seemed like the club was destined for European greatness.
But with the last remaining part of that trio set to depart Paris after this season, PSG will have no continental trophies to show for the exorbitant transfer fees they paid.
PSG fell to Borussia Dortmund in the semifinal on Tuesday with the German club advancing with an aggregate score of 2-0. Star Kylian Mbappe failed to make an impact with none of his shots in the back of the net. When Paris needed him most, the striker was nowhere to be seen.
Mbappe has been with PSG since 2017 when he first went on loan with the Parisian club. While he was able to tally over 250 goals, he was unable to bring what PSG desired most: a Champions League Trophy.
While it has yet to be declared official, it is expected and has been widely reported that Mbappe will leave France to play for Real Madrid. Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano offered an update on Fabrizio Romano's Daily Briefing back in March.
“We’ve seen some fans reacting, and getting the feeling that Mbappe has once again changed his mind about his future, and that he could now stay at PSG like he did in 2022, when he was also one step away from becoming a Real Madrid player," Romano said. "There is one crucial difference this time, however, as on that occasion Mbappe never communicated to PSG that he was going to leave the club. At that time, Mbappe decided to keep all his options open, but as I’ve reported multiple times, on this occasion it’s different as he has communicated his decision with the PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, as well as his teammates and other staff.
“Despite Enrique’s comments, I’m told that nothing has changed," Romano added. "From what I understand, Mbappe, nor anyone from his camp, has called PSG to inform them of a change of decision. There is no change there, and so PSG are continuing to work on their project for the future without Mbappe, while Mbappe keeps advancing negotiations with Real Madrid — no changes.”
While personally Mbappe might view his time in Paris as a success, the lack of a single Champions League Trophy makes it hard to think of his PSG career as anything other than a failure.
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