At one point it seemed almost impossible for Kylian Mbappe to leave AS Monaco. But after the latest twist of events at the Stade Louis II, it appears the 18-year-old’s time at the club is nearing the end.
There’s no way an account of Monaco’s historic 2016/17 campaign will be flawless without acknowledging the exploits of Mbappe. Leonardo Jardim’s team, comprised predominantly of relatively unknown youngsters, stole the hearts of millions with their hedonistic brand of entertaining football. They attacked endlessly; scored for fun while also defending as a unit, culminating in a first Ligue 1 title in 17 years as well as Champions League last four finish.
Mbappe was by far the Principality club’s breakout star. Having established himself as a regular starter, the 18-year-old added incision and exuberance to his team’s attack, hitting the net 26 times in all competitions. Such sensational feat naturally made him the world’s most wanted teenager. On their part, Monaco wasn’t ignorant of what awaited them in the summer and opted to cling firmly to their most valued asset.
Well, it hasn’t been the best of windows for the French champions thus far having already lost three key players from last season. Yet, Jardim’s team have somehow managed to keep up the momentum with three wins out of three. First, they avoided a major upset in the season opener to beat Toulouse 3-2 before thrashing Dijon 4-1. Their last outing was a 1-0 victory on the road to Metz; thus becoming the first side to win 15 successive games in the history of the French Ligue 1.
These they’ve managed to achieve with little or no help coming from their precocious forward who has featured just once this term. Mbappe appeared for 75 minutes against Toulouse and hasn’t featured ever since. Jardim has simply seen no need for the four-time capped France international who appears to be preoccupied with overtures from outside the Stade Louis II. Instead, the Portuguese gaffer has kept faith with talismanic skipper, Radamel Falcao, who hasn’t disappointed so far with five goals.
Rising to the top of his prowess in such short distant time appears to have gotten a better of the teenager whose attitude has drastically changed. But perhaps his furious altercation with teammate Andrea Raggi, last Tuesday, may have driven the final nail in the coffin. According to reports in France, the pair were dismissed from training and sent home following uncontrollable exchanges. So intense that Mbappe, who initially refused to leave the pitch, was forced out by members of the club’s technical staff.
Now it appears the French champions may be forced to let go of their enterprising youngster just a few days to the end of the transfer. And if that happens, then Paris Saint-Germain may likely be his next destination with the club-ready to offer €180m for the player. But questions over the capital club’s ability to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations have already been asked, following Neymar’s €222m move.
Should Mbappe eventually leave due to the bust-up, it will be a big shame for the player and somewhat sour the memory of a sensational 2016/17 campaign.
