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Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino has said he is confident that the club will do everything possible to retain both Kylian Mbappé and Neymar.
The French champions are in negotiations to extend the contracts of their two stars, whose agreements expire in June 2022.
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Mbappé has been a Real Madrid target in recent seasons, while Neymar has been linked with a return to Barcelona since leaving the Catalan club for a world record transfer fee of € 222 million in 2017.
“I think the club is working on that,” Pochettino told Cadena Ser. “Obviously, they are making an effort to renew the contracts of the players that they believe are important not only for the present but for the future.”
Earlier this week PSG sporting director Leonardo said he has “good vibes in both cases.”
When asked if he is worried about losing Neymar or Mbappé next summer, Pochettino said: “You always want the best players in your club. Paris. [PSG] He has the strength and the ability to convince and demonstrate the importance of these types of players. I have no doubt that the club will do everything possible to keep the players. “
Neymar and Mbappé have been linked with transfers to Real Madrid and Barcelona. Xinhua / Gao Jingtonglian via Getty Images
Pochettino is not surprised that many clubs are monitoring Mbappé’s contract situation.
“It is clear that Kylian is a player with enormous potential,” said the Argentine, who took over at PSG earlier this month. “He is 22 years old and now no one is going to discover Mbappé. What coach would not like to have a player like Mbappé in his team for a long time!”
Pochettino played down Mbappé’s unimpressed reaction after he was replaced in the 79th minute of his team’s 1-0 win at Angers on Saturday.
“The other day he had a bit of frustration for not scoring, but it is normal,” added Pochettino. “Sometimes things are taken out of context.
“Kylian is very happy here in Paris. We have a very good relationship. We’ll see what happens. But I have no doubt that Kylian loves being here in Paris.”
Meanwhile, Pochettino refused to be swayed by transfer speculations linking Lionel Messi to PSG this summer after Leonardo said the club is following his future “closely”.
The Barça and Argentina captain becomes a free agent in June and has not signed a contract extension.
Asked if he was surprised that his compatriot Messi had not signed a new contract with his all-time club, Pochettino said: “You have to respect the decisions made by the player and by the club. [Barca].
“There are reasons for that and we, from the outside, only see a small part of what is happening inside. The smartest thing is not to comment ”.
Pochettino remains in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.
Source: espn.co.uk
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