Kylian Mbappe announced last Friday that he was leaving PSG, but one major sport star knew a little earlier.
The French World Cup winner has been with the club since a 2017 loan spell from Monaco was made permanent in 2018. But he will leave at the end of this season, with Real Madrid the likely suitors for his signature.
Mbappe will play his last game for PSG on May 25th against Lyon in the Coupe de France final after six historic seasons. He leaves behind a tremendous legacy as a leader for the team, including finishing as top scorer every season since moving for £150million.
Kylian Mbappe had secret conversations with MMA star Cedric Doumbe before PSG announcement
Mbappe is known to be close friends with PFL MMA star Cedric Doumbe. And speaking with media including HITC this evening on a media call ahead of his co-headline fight against Jaleel Willis on Bellator Paris this Friday, Doumbe revealed that he knew beforehand of Mbappe’s decision.
“I knew it so I wasn’t surprised,” Doumbe said of the announcement, which was made on social media last week.
“It is sad for the fans from Paris but he always makes good choices and picks the smart thing.
“So if he decides to step away and move on then he made a good choice again. I’m pretty sure that his next club will be happy to have Kylian Mbappe because he is one of the best players in the world.
Pressed on whether he knew about the move because of media reports throughout recent months, or if the pair had spoken privately, Doumbe laughed before saying: “Both”.
Kylian Mbappe confirms he will leave PSG at the end of this season
The 25-year-old has established himself over the past seven years as one of the greatest players in the world. He has been able to particularly highlight himself playing alongside a number of stars, including a brief period with Lionel Messi.
But he is finally set to move on, as Real Madrid move towards his signature after a deal was reportedly reached back in January. Mbappe said on his X account: “I’ve always said that I would speak with you when the time comes.
“It’s my last year at Paris St-Germain. I will not extend and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks.
“It’s a lot of emotions, many years where I had the chance and the great honour to be a member of the biggest French club, one of the best in the world.
“It allowed me to arrive here, to have my first experience in a club with a lot of pressure, to grow as a player of course, by being alongside some of the best in history, some of the greatest champions.
“It’s hard and I never thought it would be this difficult to announce that. But I think I needed this, a new challenge, after seven years.”
- MORE: Liverpool told they could ‘appease fans’ by replacing Mohamed Salah with ‘best player on the planet’
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
