Real Sociedad midfielder Kubo Takefusa has revealed an anecdote about playing alongside Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Kylian Mbappe.
PSG defeated Sociedad 2-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg of the 2023-2024 season at the Parc des Princes in Paris, France, on Nov. 15 (ET).
PSG took the lead in the 13th minute of the second half through Mbappe. Ousmane Dembele sent in a corner kick, which Marquinhos’ header fell to Mbappe in front of goal. Mbappe calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net to give his team the lead.
In the 25th minute, PSG went one better, as Bradley Barcola used his speed to break through on the left flank after a pass from Fabian Luis, and found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper before slotting the ball between his legs. PSG went on to win the first leg 2-0.
PSG’s chances of reaching the quarterfinals are even higher. In the Champions League, all tournament matches except the final go to a second leg. In the Champions League, which is also known as the 180-minute game, PSG can prepare for the second leg in comfort.
If there’s one problem, it’s Mbappe’s transfer. As European soccer transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano tweeted on July 21, “Mbappe is finalizing the details of his transfer to Real Madrid, effective in July. He will receive first-team rights, a huge signing bonus and a salary similar to stars like Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.”
In the summer of 2017, Mbappe finalized his move to PSG. PSG’s transfer fee for the 19-year-old attacker was €180 million ($258.7 billion). Since joining PSG, Mbappe has developed into one of the best strikers in the world. In seven seasons with PSG, he has scored 212 goals and provided 85 assists in 260 games.
This season, Mbappe has been one of PSG’s best performers, forming a great partnership with Lee Kang-In. With 21 goals and four assists in 20 Ligue 1 games, he leads the league in scoring and is PSG’s top scorer. This season, he became the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to surpass 30 goals in all competitions.
The problem, however, is the length of his contract. As of January 1, Mbappe only has six months left on his PSG contract. When Mbappe signed his new deal in the summer of 2022, it was a 2+1 year deal, but PSG’s feet were put under fire when Mbappe announced that he would not be exercising his one-year extension option.
That’s when Real made a move for Mbappe. Mbappe accepted Real’s offer. ”PSG striker Mbappe has agreed to join Real this summer,” said Guillaume Balague of the BBC. Mbappe has not yet signed a contract with Real, but a deal could be announced when the two clubs no longer meet in the UEFA Champions League this season.”
This isn’t the first time Mbappe has been linked with a move to Real. Real had offered AS Monaco close to €100 million ($143.3 million) for Mbappe in the summer of 2017, when he joined PSG. At the time, Mbappe was torn between Real and PSG and chose his hometown Parisian club.
Some say that Mbappe has wanted to move to Real for a long time. In fact, since the 2019-2020 season, rumors of Mbappe’s move to Real have increased dramatically. Real president Florentino Perez has even said that he likes Mbappe a lot. Last summer, there were local reports of Mbappe joining Real.
Recently, Sociedad midfielder Kubo has reignited the talk. Sociedad will host Villarreal in the 26th round of the Spanish Primera Liga on April 24 at the Estadio Real in San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain. Kubo was present at the pre-match press conference.
Kubo was asked about Mbappe. When asked, “How was Mbappe in Paris last week?” Kubo replied, “I realized that Mbappe speaks Spanish very well. I think Mbappe has been preparing for this for a long time.”
If Kubo’s story is true, Mbappe was learning Spanish before the end of the season with a move to Real in mind. Mbappe has never played in Spain and has no ties to the country. If Mbappe’s move to Real does happen, we’ll know everything then.