In 2021, Real Madrid were ready to secure Kylian Mbappe’s services, offering a hefty sum of €180 million to Paris Saint-Germain. Yet, PSG held firm, refusing to release their star forward.
Leonardo, PSG’s sporting director at the time, has now revealed that he was entirely against renewing Mbappe’s contract and would have rather accepted Real Madrid’s offer.
His stance against the renewal was based on both the significant financial commitment required to keep Mbappe and his belief that a player should never be valued above the club itself.
During this period, Real Madrid made a strong push to bring Mbappe on board. With only one year remaining on his contract, PSG had an opportunity to make a profitable deal.
Story narrated by Leonardo
Leonardo openly expressed that, in his view, selling Mbappe at the end of the 2020-2021 season was the more logical decision.
“I was against (Mbappe’s renewal), especially at the level it was done. Always. From the beginning,” he began saying as quoted by MARCA.
“I even think he was supposed to be sold at the end of the 2020-2021 season when PSG had an offer from Real Madrid and he only had one year left on his contract.”
However, despite Leonardo’s resistance, PSG’s president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, backed by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, stepped in to prevent the transfer.
Together, they orchestrated a new deal that kept Mbappe in Paris, a decision that brought in support from both French and Qatari authorities.
Leonardo’s exit
This renewal ultimately led to Leonardo’s exit from PSG. On the very day of Mbappe’s contract extension, 21 May 2022, Leonardo was dismissed from his role.
PSG cited a need for a new direction, choosing to replace Leonardo with Luis Campos as part of a broader strategy to reshape the club’s ambitions.
“How can this situation be managed? If you lose a player it’s annoying, but the club is not going to die because of this,” he added.
In his reflections, Leonardo noted that while losing a player like Mbappe could be challenging, no single player should overshadow the stability and success of the club itself.
“What great institution collapsed after losing a player? None. It may take time, but you always recover. I have been a player, but a footballer can never be more important than a club.”
He believed that the club’s identity and strength should come first, regardless of individual talent. For Leonardo, the decision to retain Mbappe was a bold, yet costly move that would have long-term impacts on PSG’s structure and priorities.