Monaco Boss Justifies Benching Mbappe, Calls It A Club Decision
Reuters / Eric Gaillard
French starlet Kylian Mbappe has been on several transfer radars this summer, as he continues to be chased by a host of top European clubs, and surprisingly, the forward was left out from Monaco’s starting XI over the weekend.
Ligue 1 champions Monaco kept a 100% record in their 2017-18 campaign after blowing away Dijon 4-1 to bag their 2nd win in a row. Head coach Leonardo Jardim stated that the decision to leave Mbappe on the bench was the club’s, in order to give chance to other players.
“It’s a club decision not to have him start the game. In the end, the game went smoothly and I gave the opportunity to other players to help make the building of the team more effective,” claimed the manager.
Radamel Falcao went on to shine for the French club, but the focus was mainly on Mbappe, with speculation rising over his presence on the bench. The star player who was a crucial element for Monaco in their title winning run last season, and also played a significant part in the side’s run to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Mbappe has also become a regular in the French national team, and Monaco will find it hard to keep hold of him if a substantial bid does come around. The teenager is being chased by Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Manchester City, as the trio are keen to make a whopping bid in order to land the promising star.
PSG are said to be running as favourites at the moment, and want the player to play alongside world record signing Neymar. The French giants are ready to dig deep into their pockets once more and make Mbappe the second most expensive signing of all time.
Real and City are also said to be monitoring the situation and preparing to fight PSG for the player’s signature. Meanwhile, Monaco are desperate to hold on to Mbappe, as they look to fight PSG in defending their Ligue 1 title, and doing well in Europe too. After the departure of several key players, the French side doesn’t want to be looked upon as just a selling club.
Written by Rajdeep Saha 
Sports journalist with stints across print, digital and television. Contribution to each medium has been thrilling. Experienced in writing for this passionate game called football. Journalist by choice and passion.