Mauricio Pochettino hails Kylian Mbappe; calls him an important player and a gift for PSG

Amid rumours surrounding Kylian Mbappe's transfer to Real Madrid, PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino have cleared the air insisting that Mbappe has not informed him of his desire to leave the club. The Spanish club has gone into overdrive in their pursuit of the France international, and have already sent two bids.

The Paris Saint-Germain head coach also hailed Mbappe after the striker scored twice in a 2-0 win against Reims in Ligue 1. His first goal was a header from an Angel di Maria's cross and for his second, he swept home Achraf Hakimi's cross.

In conversation with Amazon Prime post-match, Mauricio Pochettino remarked: "He [Mbappe] is here with us and we are happy with him. He is an important player and it is a gift to have him with us. He is our player. But you know the business, it's full of rumours. Our president and our director are very clear."  The club captain Marquinhos also echoed what the head coach has said, adding that Mbappe is an important player: “We don't even try to ask him about his future. He has his goals, but if we think about ourselves, we want him to stay. And if he stays, he will help us a lot. 

The PSG vs Reims match also saw the debut of the Atomic Flea Lionel Messi. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner came off the bench in the 66th minute to replace Neymar. I'm very happy that he made his debut. It was very important for him," PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino told the broadcasters after the game.

Will Mbappe leave before the transfer window closes?

After having an initial proposal of 160 million euros rejected, Real Madrid has upped their offer to 180 million euros ($211.48 million) for Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe. PSG has asked for up to €220 million (£189 million/$259 million) for Mbappe, but Madrid has firmly stated that they would not pay that amount. The 22-year-old's contract expires at the end of the season, and PSG must decide whether to risk losing him for free next summer or accept Madrid's latest offer.

Image credits: AP