Kylian Mbappe may have hinted back in May he could be tempted by a new project to satisfy his burgeoning desire for more responsibility, but Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi remains "200 per cent" confident the 20-year-old will remain in the French capital next season.
The 20-year-old's comments - made while he accepted the Ligue 1 Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards - appeared to take PSG president Al-Khelaifi back by surprise as he watched on from the crowd.
However, PSG coach Thomas Tuchel seemed less surprised by the ensuing speculation linking World Cup winner Mbappe with a move away from the Parc des Princes, and particularly to Spanish giants Real Madrid, after refusing to promise the forward would still be at the club next term.
"I am used to this…" Tuchel said while at the Monaco Grand Prix. "Now it is May, the stuff that I say now might not be true next month.
"My wish is clear, but I can't promise as that would be naive and I don't want to be naive in this business."
Despite Tuchel not feeling 100 per cent able to guarantee Mbappe's stay at PSG this summer, president Al-Khelaifi - in contrast - feels he is in a position to do so.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with France Football, Al-Khelaifi said of Mbappe: "He wants to be involved in our project to grow with the team, the club.
"But I have explained to him that you do not ask for responsibility. You have to go and get it, sometimes even tear it off from somewhere else. You don’t wait, you provoke.
"As he is very intelligent, I am sure that he has understood…
"I am not 100% sure, but 200% sure (that he will not be leaving). I am not going to let go of this unbelievable player."
Mbappe initially signed for PSG on loan from Monaco in 2017, and went on to become the second-most expensive player in the world, behind teammate Neymar, after making the move permanent in a £166m transfer.
He is under contract at PSG until 2023.
