Mueez Ajao
– Real Madrid president Florentino Perez says Kylian Mbappe “must have changed his dream” after the France striker rejected a move to the Spanish club.
– Mbappe, 23, signed a new lucrative three-year contract at Paris St-Germain instead of moving to the La Liga club.
– “His dream was to play at Real Madrid,” Perez told El Chiringuito.
Also Read: Mbappe saga forgotten after Real Madrid’s UCL title win – Florentino Perez
– “We wanted to do it last August and they didn’t let him leave, he kept saying he wanted to play at Madrid and 15 days before changed the situation.”
– According to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, Mbappe had agreed a financial package with Real months ago for a potential switch to Spain prior to opting to stay with PSG.
– Spain’s La Liga reacted angrily to the news, calling the deal “scandalous” and has since filed a complaint to Uefa about what it believes to be Financial Fair Play breaches by PSG and Manchester City.
– “This is not the Mbappe I wanted to bring, he is another one, who must have changed his dream,” Perez was quoted as saying in Marca from the interview with El Chiringuito.
– “He changes, he is offered other things, he is pressured and he is already another footballer.
– “There is no-one at Real Madrid above the club. He is a great player, he can win more than others, but it is a collective sport and we have values and principles that we cannot change.”
– Mbappe has not ruled out moving to Real Madrid in the future, saying it is “never over” when asked about joining the Spanish champions.
– Perez added: “The Mbappe who was going to come here is not this one. If it is, I prefer him to stay at PSG. I want the one with the dream.”
– Real Madrid won La Liga and the Champions League last season with France striker Karim Benzema scoring 44 goals in 46 games.
– He is one of the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or and Perez suggested the 34-year-old’s exploits were behind them not signing striker Erling Haaland, who has joined Manchester City.
– “We have the best nine in the world and we weren’t going to bring in Haaland to have him on the bench, right?” said Perez.
– “We have no interest now other than to build the new team with the youngsters we have and some reinforcement.”
– In the interview, Perez also said the formation of a European Super League “is still alive”.
– Real Madrid were one of 12 clubs in a proposed European Super League when plans for the competition were announced last year.
– All of the sides, except for Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona, pulled out after widespread protests from fans, politicians and governing bodies.
