French Ligue 1
Mbappe – Neymar feud may deepen over comments on Messi
Kylian Mbappe has made comments which are believed may upset Neymar, his club mate with whom he is having a cold war.
The troubled French international, has claimed playing with Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain is “something else” even compared to his long-standing relationship with Brazil’s Neymar.
Messi rocked the football world earlier this year when he ended his long association with Barcelona to join PSG on a free transfer.
In moving to the French capital, the Argentine joined Mbappe and Neymar to make up one of the most talented front three combinations in history.
There have been a few hitches in their opening weeks together, with some signs of friction between Mbappe and Neymar in particular.
But the Frenchman, who pushed to leave PSG shortly after Messi’s arrival, admits that playing alongside Messi is something he could have never envisaged.
“I never imagined him coming here!” Mbappe told L’Equipe . “He’s one of the rare players who I put in the ‘impossible-for-me-to-play-with’ category.
“For me, he was never going to leave Barcelona. I am savouring every moment alongside him. You can’t forget that it remains a privilege.
“He’s someone who loves football. He speaks with everyone, he’s trying to integrate in his own way, even if he is a bit shy. But he’s not shy on the pitch.”
Of course, Messi isn’t the first world superstar that Mbappe has had the privilege of lining up with, having spent the last three seasons playing up front with Neymar.
And while the World Cup winner admits that although he was a little star struck at linking up with the Brazilian, it paled into insignificance compared to PSG’s latest coup.
Asked if he had experienced a similar feeling with any other players, he added: “Neymar, a bit, when he arrived. He was really extraordinary.
“But Messi is something else. It’s amazing to think that the only other club shirt he’s worn, other than Barcelona, is PSG.
“We have to realise that this is something extraordinary.”
Messi scored for the first time for his new club during last week’s Champions League victory over Manchester City.
Just four days later however, the Parisians were stunned by Rennes in Ligue 1, losing 2-0 where despite Mbappe, Neymar and Messi starting, they failed to register a single shot on target.
And Mbappe suggested that there is still a learning process when it comes to adding yet another world class layer to their lineup.
When you only play with great players, you have to make concessions. You’re not the only big player,” he explained.
“It’s not you and the others anymore, it’s everyone all together. Because all we want to do is win.
“When you have Messi in your team, you know that he has to do a bit less in order to have some fuel left in the tank to be more clear-headed to score.
“So if you have to go back, that’s what you do. It’s not an issue, there’s an established hierarchy.”
Paul Pogba has joined AS Monaco on a free transfer after signing a two-year contract, the Ligue 1 club said on Saturday, as the 32-year-old French midfielder looks to revive his career following a doping ban.
Pogba was handed a four-year doping ban in February 2024 after testing positive for DHEA, which boosts testosterone levels. The suspension was cut to 18 months after a successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Italian club Juventus announced in November that they had mutually agreed to terminate his contract, which was due to expire in June 2026.
The 2018 World Cup winner had a disappointing second spell with Juventus due to injuries after returning to the Turin-based club following his departure from Manchester United on a free transfer in 2022.
Pogba was signed by United in 2016 for a then-world record fee of 89 million pounds ($122 million) but the four-times Serie A champion won only two trophies with the Premier League club — the League Cup and Europa League in his first season.
He last played for France in 2022 but knee surgery prevented him from appearing at the World Cup in Qatar.
Monaco finished third behind Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain and Olympique de Marseille last season.
-Reuters
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After Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi signed a contract extension with French Ligue 1 side, Paris Saint-Germain, he became the World’s most-paid fullback.
The Moroccan international will earn a staggering €70 million in wages over his new five-year deal, cementing his status as football’s highest-paid defender.
He signed a contract extension with the French champions until 2029. The new deal adds three years to his previous contract, which was set to expire in 2026.
His net salary is increasing from €10 million to €14 million per season (€28 million gross).
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The 2024 Ballon d’Or nominee and Super Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman, is almost certain to leave the Serie A in the coming winter transfer window following interest from Premiership but the biggest interest is from Paris Saint Germaine.
The AFCON 2024 silver medal winner with Nigeria has been on the radar of the London side, West Ham United and three other sides from the league but all is more certain that the London club will find it difficult to compete for the signature of Atalanta star according to Football Insider.
Reports have suggested that the Irons are ready to swoop for the Nigeria international in the January transfer window.
However, sources say there will be “huge interest” from Europe in the 27-year-old ex-Everton star.
Paris Saint-Germain will be the frontrunner for the forward if he becomes available in the coming months.
Additionally, Lookman plays in the same area of the pitch as West Ham’s big-money summer signings Crysencio Summerville and Luis Guilherme.
The London-born has raised his stock with his displays for Atalanta since joining from RB Leipzig in 2022.
He finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or rankings this year after leading the Italian side to a Europa League title last term.
Lookman has already hit five goals and contributed five assists in 10 games across all competitions this term.
The forward, who is under contract until June 2026, hit 17 goals and notched 10 assists in 45 appearances last season.
West Ham are unlikely to have serious funds to spend in the January window after their lavish spending in the off-season.
Julen Lopetegui’s side started slowly and sat 13th in the Premier League after nine games.
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