PARIS: Kylian Mbappe has described his club Paris St Germain as a “divisive team”, amid a contract standoff between the player and the French Ligue 1 champions.

Relations between PSG and Mbappe soured last month after the French forward said he would not renew his contract which expires at the end of next season, meaning he can leave for free in June 2024.

If he runs down his contract PSG would be unable to recoup any of the 180 million euros ($197 million) they spent to sign him. PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi has said they will not let him go for free.

Mbappe, Ligue 1’s top scorer in the last five seasons, has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.

“I think that playing for PSG doesn’t help much because it’s a divisive team, a divisive club,” he said in an interview with France Football magazine.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2023