Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe won his third consecutive UNFP Ligue 1 player of the year award on Sunday and hinted that he is close to announcing a decision over his future with Real Madrid rumors rife. The 23-year-old France international was 2019 and 2021 winner while the 2020 award was canceled due to COVID-19 ending the season prematurely, and Mbappe currently has everybody guessing whether this will be his final season in his homeland or whether he’ll join national team teammate Karim Benzema at the Santiago Bernabeu.
“We will know shortly,” said PSG’s No. 7 when quizzed on his future. “It is almost done. My choice is pretty much made. To win this for a third time is incredible and I thank my teammates, the club, the coach, and everybody behind the scenes who helped us regain the title.”
Mbappe is not yet PSG’s all-time top scorer and will need at least another season to overhaul Edinson Cavani on 200 goals. The former AS Monaco man was asked about that landmark as an objective after grabbing 36 goals this season.
“You have to respect what he managed to do,” he said. “To score 200 goals for PSG is incredible. Just being part of that circle is an honor and you must savor what you have achieved. I am already very happy to be in the top three.”
Elsewhere, Mbappe’s PSG teammate Gianluigi Donnarumma was voted goalkeeper of the year despite a difficult first season in France while Olympique de Marseille’s William Saliba was young player of the year and Stade Rennais’ Bruno Genesio got the best coach award.
Mbappe, Donnarumma and Nuno Mendes, who was in the running for the young player title, will now link up with their PSG teammates who are already in Qatar for a mini tour before the end of the current season.
The Frenchman’s decision is due before he links up with Les Bleus for this summer’s internationals after Mbappe himself set the deadline with his comments after picking up his latest award.
