Mauricio Pochettino, the head coach of Paris Saint-Germain, has revealed that he was unaware of Kylian Mbappe’s choice to stay at the club.
After a long battle for Mbappe’s signature between Real Madrid and PSG, only Achraf Hakimi knew what decision Mbappe had taken, according to Pochettino.
Mbappe was largely expected to go for Real Madrid on a free transfer. The 23-year-old then did a stunning U-turn to accept one of the most lucrative contracts in football history, which will see him become the world’s highest-paid athlete.
It was a well guarded secret, with only Hakimi being aware of the crucial choice. Since Hakimi joined from Inter Milan, the two have become closest friends.
Pochettino and the rest of the players were only informed half an hour before the official announcement, according to Sportskeeda.
I was not surprised by Mbappe’s decision. We trusted that he had not made the decision and that it was going to be at the last moment. Officially, I found out about the renewal of Mbappe half an hour before. Even being close to him we didn’t know his final decision.
Mbappe has extended his contract with the French champions for another three years. He helped PSG win the Ligue One title, scoring 28 goals and assisting on 17 others.
