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Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique has said he still holds hope that Kylian Mbappé could “change his mind” and remain at the club, despite being strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid in the summer.
Sources confirmed to ESPN in February that Mbappé had decided to join Madrid in the summer after his contract with PSG runs out.
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However, while Madrid and Mbappé are in talks, no deal has been agreed.
Ahead of their clash against rivals Marseille on Sunday, Luis Enrique told Prime Video Sport France he hasn’t given up on the idea of the France international staying in Paris.
Asked if the fact that it will be Mbappé’s final chance to play in Le Classique would influence his starting lineup, Luis Enrique said: “Why will it be his final derby?
“Me, I’ve always remained hopeful that Kylian could change his mind — he hasn’t said anything for now. He could change his mind.
“Imagine if we win four trophies this season, and Kylian Mbappé decides at the last minute that he wants to stay in Paris.
“Why not, we will see.”
Luis Enrique was also asked in his pre-match news conference about whether he had thought about not starting Mbappé against Marseille, given he has done so in recent Ligue 1 games against Nantes and Rennes.
“Everything is possible in life. What I am aware of is the importance of Le Classique for our supporters, for the club and this historic rivalry,” Luis Enrique said.
“My desire is that everything goes well, that there is a spectacle and that we see a very good football match between two very good teams. Our goal is to win this match against our eternal rival.
“As manager of my team and the club, I have to see this match very clearly but also have a general vision of what is best for us, that’s my job. I have to make a decision and I will do it thinking about what I consider to be best for the team.
“This means that there are people who do not agree as always but, of course, we are going to go to Marseille to be competitive and give great joy to our supporters.”
Information from ESPN’s Rodrigo Faez and Julien Laurens contributed to this report.