Talking about his emotions in the aftermath of winning the World Cup, the France captain said “It may be incomprehensible, but it didn’t do much for me. I was too young and so unconscious.” The 25-year-old added, “It was a win that made me happy, but I didn’t realise I had won. I came home quickly in the evening and I didn’t celebrate like crazy.”

Mbappé was instrumental in the 2018 World Cup for Didier Deschamps’ side. Despite just being 18, the former Monaco attacker scored 4 goals during the tournament including his goal in the final which made him the tournament’s youngest scorer in a final since Pélé. He also won the Young Player of the Tournament award.

2022 brought a change of attitude

The Bondy-born attacker reassured that at the 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar, he adopted a change of attitude. Referencing the 2022 tournament, Mbappé said, “I was much more conscious at the 2022 World Cup. The 2018 World Cup was my first and we won it straight away so it didn’t create any particular emotion. In 2022, there were so many more emotions.”

This change in emotion was clear in Mbappé’s performances at the 2022 World Cup. The France international carried Les Bleus to the final scoring 8 goals including a hat trick in the final but it wasn’t enough to successfully defend their crown as world champions – losing to Argentina on penalties. 

GFFN | Liam Wraith

Despite neither Randal Kolo Muani (25) nor Gonçalo Ramos (22) making an impact in the number nine spot since signing in the summer, Ekitike has yet to be trusted within the team, making only one appearance this season. 

The forward was heavily linked with a move to Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer as PSG attempted to use him as a makeweight to sign Kolo Muani. However, he reportedly was uninterested and instead favoured a move to the Premier League. 

Is a Premier League move still on for Ekitike?

According to Fabrice Hawkins, this has not deterred the German side, who remain intrigued by the forward’s profile, as they continue searching for a striker to fill the void left by Kolo Muani. 

Frankfurt will have some stiff competition for this signing, with Wolfsburg also apparently interested in trying to complete a loan deal for Ekitike.

However, if the forward remains committed to the Premier League, then it has been said that Brentford would be keen on acquiring his services, and have included an option to purchase at the end of their loan. 

This could be a sign that the London club are preparing for a future without Ivan Toney (27), as their striker remains a target for their Premier League rivals. Or perhaps, it could just be a reflection of the large-scale injury crisis that has affected The Bees this season. 

GFFN | Nick Hartland

Moscardo had looked set to join PSG this month, alongside compatriot Lucas Beraldo (20). But whilst Beraldo’s transfer was completed at the start of the month, Moscardo’s was not, with the midfielder failing his medical. Tests revealed that he would need surgery on a foot injury, which complicated the deal.

The transfer has since been in suspense, although it has always been expected that the transfer would go through, either this month or in the summer. Melo then put pressure on PSG to complete the deal earlier this week.  “Either PSG pay now, or he comes back to Corinthians. If they don’t pay now, he’ll come back,” he told Domingo. 

PSG yet to confirm move

That pressure has seemingly told, with Moscardo now set to complete a €20m move to the Parc des Princes. “Moscardo is no longer a Corinthians player. The deal is completed,” began Melo in an interview with Jogo Alberto.

He added, “He has been sold to PSG […] PSG wanted to wait for the operation and see after that, but it was out of the question. We told PSG and the club accepted to buy him with the risks linked to his operation – all the risks.” PSG are yet to confirm Melo’s version of events, nor the existence of a deal between all parties. Regardless, Moscardo won’t feature for anyone until April, with the Brazilian set to undergo surgery on his foot injury, likely in Qatar. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

With the PSG forward now available to leave as a free agent, Mbappé’s future continues to consume the thoughts and conversations of all involved in his future. It remains no secret that Real Madrid would like to sign the 25-year-old, despite their mid-January deadline on a decision, as reported by The Athletic, now having elapsed. Les Parisiens are also keen to keep their star man but now appear to be showing some signs of frustration at the length of time it is taking the former Monaco attacker to decide his future. 

A contract extension remains on the table for Mbappé as the Ligue 1 champions want to retain the services of the France international. RMC Sport reports that PSG’s offer of an extension is higher than the proposal that the forward has received from Real Madrid. However, there is not a great difference between the values offered by the Ligue 1 club and La Liga club.

PSG planning for Plan B

Paris Saint-Germain want to move onwards to the future and hence are also planning for the future without the France attacker, according to RMC Sport. Discussions between the club and the player have still been frequent and positive, but the Ligue 1 champions are pushing for a decision to be made on the 25-year-old’s future. Mbappé has agreed with PSG that they will be the first to know when he has come to his decision. 

GFFN | Liam Wraith

Mbappé continues to be linked with an imminent departure from Paris Saint-Germain. The France captain’s contract with PSG expires at the end of the current season and remains unclear whether he will extend or leave on a free transfer. Foot Mercato had reported that a pre-contract agreement was in place with Real Madrid, however, speaking to RMC Sport, the player’s entourage has denied that any agreement is in place. 

Whilst Mbappé’s short-term future remains unclear, the Frenchman made a more long-term projection. In recent years, there has been an increasing trend that has seen some of the star names in football move away from Europe in their latter years.

Mbappé not yet ready for move away from Europe

Ronaldo did so last winter, making a move to Saudi Arabia – with many big stars, both old and young, following him in the summer – whilst Messi made the move to the MLS, joining Inter Miami. 

Mbappé has told GQ that he may too leave Europe. “Many great players that have shaped the history of football have left Europe this summer and we are entering a new era. It’s become part of the cycle of this sport and at some point, it will be my turn to leave. I’m not worried about these changes. I’m simply thinking about continuing my career and following my own path,” said the France captain. 

Having rejected a move to Saudi Arabia in the summer, Mbappé will likely ply his trade in Europe for many more years to come, whether that be at PSG, or elsewhere. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

With the multiplication of competitions in recent years, schedules have become increasingly hectic, notably drawing criticism from compatriots Aurélien Tchouaméni and Raphaël Varane. The latter, who at the age of 30 has already retired from international football, believes that careers will be shortened by fixture congestion. 

However, Mbappé remains keen on competing in all competitions, including the Olympic Games, which will take place in his home city of Paris this summer. He told GQ that he wanted to participate in the competition but would understand if that wasn’t possible, given that it coincides with the start of the football season. 

Mbappé not against 70 games a season, but…

Mbappé told GQ believes that the footballing calendar is moving towards the NBA model, and whilst he isn’t against such a move, he believes that squad rotation would have to become a necessary by-product, which he admits may not please everyone. 

“We’re getting closer to the NBA model, with seasons of 70 games. Personally, I’m not against playing that many matches, but we won’t be able to be good every time and give the public the spectacle that they expect. In the NBA, players don’t lay every game and franchises practice load management. But if I said ‘I’m tired, I’m not playing on Saturday’, it wouldn’t go down well,” the France captain began.

He added, “The spectator who pays for their ticket, and who may only see you once during the season, wants to see a performance worthy of the name, and that’s understandable. I don’t want to preach, but we need to think together about how to offer the best solutions so that players, spectators, and football’s governing bodies can all embrace it.”

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Moscardo’s move to PSG looked set to be formally completed earlier this month, however, his medical showed a foot injury that required surgery. As a result, Les Parisiens put Moscardo’s €20m move on stand-by. The delaying of the process has not pleased Corinthians president Augusto Melo. “Either PSG pay now, or he comes back to Corinthians. If they don’t pay now, he’ll come back,” he told Domingo. 

Le Parisien have now revealed that Moscardo is in fact likely to return to Corinthians, however, PSG are also set to still pay the reported €20m fee for the midfielder, in order to obtain his services from the start of next season. 

Moscardo will compete with Corinthians between April and July, before making the permanent move to France. Before that, however, the Brazilian must undergo surgery on his foot injury, most likely in Qatar. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Mbappé told Téléfoot back in 2022 that the topic of participating in the Olympics was broached during negotiations to extend his Paris Saint-Germain contract, amidst the Frenchman’s eagerness to participate in the event. It is unclear by whom Mbappé will be employed by the time the Olympics come around. 

The France captain’s contract with Les Parisiens expires at the end of the season, and his future is a hot topic of discussion, amidst intense rumours of a move to Real Madrid.

‘I’ve reached a stage in my life and career where I don’t want to force things any more’ – Mbappé

It had been reported that Mbappé wanted to negotiate an agreement with whoever his future employers may be, that would allow him to participate in the Olympics, with the event potentially leaving Mbappé unavailable for the opening matches of the 2024/25 season. 

However, in an interview with GQ, Mbappé has now softened his stance on the topic. “I’ve reached a stage in my life and career where I don’t want to force things any more. If I’m asked, I’d love to go, but if that’s not possible, I’ll understand,” the Frenchman said. 

Mbappé added, “For every athlete, the Olympics holds a special place. I wanted to go to Tokyo [in 2020] because I want to win everything and write my name in the history of the French team as a player who mattered.” 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Ramos has only played five minutes of Ligue 1 football since 24th November. According to Record, this is in part due to the Portuguese international contracting a severe virus, which not only hospitalised him but also saw him lose six kilograms at the end of December. 

Ramos for sale?

But regardless of Ramos’ physical state, the former Benfica striker’s first few months at PSG have underwhelmed. As per a report from L’Équipe, Luis Enrique does not consider Ramos to be capable of fulfilling his demands in matches against top opponents. The player was pushed to come to PSG by Luís Campos and given Luis Enrique’s reticence to play him, especially in the big fixtures, he is seemingly not a striker in the Spanish manager’s mould. 

The PSG hierarchy, aware that Ramos has thus far underachieved, are now asking questions about the Portuguese forward’s future at the club. Sources close to the Qatari hierarchy at the club have suggested that PSG could be tempted to sell Ramos this month, should a reasonable offer be lodged in the next 10 days. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

After a patchy first season, Vitinha’s presence in an ever-changing Paris Saint-Germain midfield has offered some much-needed continuity and stability. While not an exact Marco Verratti replacement stylistically speaking, the former Porto man has emerged as a similarly crucial presence in driving the team’s attacks forward, both in his incisive passing and in moving up the pitch himself.

Vitinha is usually deployed as a left-sided central midfielder, which sees him provide cover and combine with Kylian Mbappé down that flank. Luis Enrique has, on occasion, played him as the more defensive-minded of the midfield three, seeking to make the most of his press-resistant play – an element in which Manuel Ugarte has been lacking. When played higher up the pitch, Vitinha is particularly judicious in his own attempts to press and has been prolific in terms of recoveries in the attacking third.

Vitinha unleashed by Luis Enrique

With five goals so far, the midfielder is also 7th in Ligue 1’s scoring charts (admittedly more of a reflection of the league’s dearth of goals this year, but impressive from Vitinha nonetheless). The fact that he has already more than doubled his best-ever tally for a campaign is also indicative of a newfound confidence, even if it’s not his primary task. This year, Vitinha does not hesitate to let rip from range – often to great effect. It’s a stark contrast to last season’s hesitant approach, which was best exemplified in his failure to convert an open-goal chance against Bayern Munich in the Champions League Round of 16 second leg.

His reliability does translate into a hesitant and conservative approach in his passing choices, though. Unlike Verratti in his heyday, Vitinha tends to opt for the path of least resistance when it comes to finding his teammates during attacks – not that a more adventurous pass is beyond his talents, though, as his pre-assist for Ousmane Dembélé in the Trophée des Champions showed. 

Whether Luis Enrique is afforded more time than his predecessors remains to be seen, but in any case, it’s evident that Vitinha has been one of the main beneficiaries of the Spaniard’s arrival on the bench. The 23-year-old’s versatility and consistency have seen him become a fixture of the new-look PSG.