Paris Saint-Germain should have made Kylian Mbappe boss to keep him amid Real Madrid interest - Thierry Henry

ByJames Walker-Roberts

Updated 14/12/2021 at 13:29 GMT

Kylian Mbappe could be set to leave Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent next summer as his contract is set to expire. Mbappe has been PSG's leading scorer this season and former France forward Thierry Henry thinks the club should have resolved his future sooner. Real Madrid have been linked with a move for the 22-year-old.

Thierry Henry says Paris Saint-Germain should have sorted Kylian Mbappe’s future “two years ago” by making him the “boss” of the team.

Mbappe joined PSG from Monaco in 2017 and netted his 100th goal in a 2-0 win over his former side at the weekend.

However, his future is far from clear as his contract expires in the summer and Real Madrid have been strongly linked with a move. Former Arsenal and Monaco striker Henry thinks PSG should have been quicker to act with Mbappe.

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"It should have been settled two years ago,” Henry told Amazon.

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"I think that if two years ago, they had sat down with Mbappe to tell him 'this will be your team, we're gonna build this team around you, you're gonna be the boss'.

"But now he really has his destiny in his hands. He will be able to sign wherever he wants."

At 22, Mbappe is the youngest player to score 100 goals for a Ligue 1 club since the stats were first recorded in 1950-51.

He has been PSG’s key forward this season as Lionel Messi has struggled to score in the league since joining from Barcelona and Neymar has been out with injury.

Henry told GQ recently that he would reluctantly compare himself to Mbappe.

“I don’t think you should compare people, because everybody has their own style, different eras, different battles, different ways of playing, different ways of seeing the game… But the one that always comes close and everyone repeats, because we’re from the suburbs of Paris, we both played for Monaco first, and so on, is Kylian Mbappe.

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“I don’t particularly like it. Not because of what I did. It’s not about that. I think everyone has their own way, and he’s Mbappe. I actually love him, by the way. The way he plays is just crazy. But he’s him, I was me. But if I had someone here killing me to say something, I would say Mbappe.

“I like how clever he is on the field. His brain. When he speaks, when he gives interviews, he seems like a level-headed guy. He knows where he wants to go. And the way he sees the game, his football IQ for me is really high.

"People always mention his speed and his dribbling. But, listen, you have a ball at your feet. You need to see everything at that speed and make the right choice.”

PSG are 13 points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 and face Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League after the draw was redone due to an error.

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