FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier - France Training - INF Clairefontaine, Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, France - June 14, 2023 France's Kylian Mbappe during training REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
(Reuters) - Kylian Mbappe said French President Emmanuel Macron has no influence on his career choices as the Paris St Germain forward lost his cool on Thursday when questioned about his future with the Ligue 1 champions.
Mbappe sent a letter to PSG stating that he had no intention of extending his contract, which expires in 2024, but he later clarified that he had not asked the French club to allow him to move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.
When Mbappe was linked with a move away from PSG in 2021, Macron had urged him to stay at PSG and to continue playing in the French top flight.
French media earlier this week that Macron said he would push for Mbappe to stay but the 24-year-old simply reiterated his stance that his plan was to remain with PSG next season.
"What influence does the President have? On my career today, in 2023, none. He wants me to stay in Paris, my objective is to stay. We're on the same wavelength," Mbappe told reporters ahead of France's European Championship qualifier against Gibraltar on Friday.
"Am I going to leave PSG? I've already answered, I've said that my objective is to stay at PSG, that's my only option at the moment. I'm ready to come back when pre-season resumes.
"I didn't think a letter killed anyone or that I had offended anyone."
PSG face the dilemma of allowing Mbappe to run down the final year of his contract and being unable to recoup any of the 180 million euros ($196.94 million) they spent in 2017 to sign the forward from AS Monaco.
Mbappe has finished as Ligue 1's top scorer in the last five seasons.
"I've been used to it since I was very young. I'm thinking about tomorrow's game. That's my only concern," he said.
"What happens outside is secondary, I've always managed to do both. I want to show tomorrow that I'm a great player."
France coach Didier Deschamps also stood by Mbappe, who was named the team's captain in March.
"We discuss a lot of things with Kylian, he's captain of the team... He's committed to the group," Deschamps said.
"He's no more tense than usual. He's always in the spotlight, a bit more so recently, but that doesn't have any impact on him and not at all on the group."
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(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
