Dates cancelled on Kylian Mbappé farewell tour?

Kylian Mbappé’s (25) farewell tour began at FC Nantes. Just days after he announced to the Paris Saint-Germain hierarchy that he would be departing upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the season, he was cheered by the home fans at the Beaujoire as he made his appearance off the bench.

The latest leg of the tour did not go quite so swimmingly. The Frenchman was booed by the home fans at the Stade Louis II as he returned to formative club AS Monaco. He struggled to get a foothold in the game, losing his battle with Wilfried Singo before being controversially substituted at half-time by Luis Enrique.

Speaking post-match, the Spaniard revealed that it was a tactical decision to replace Mbappé with Randal Kolo Muani. Instead of sitting on the bench alongside his PSG teammates in the second half, Mbappé instead sat with his mother in the VIP boxes.

Could this be a sign of things to come? As reported by L’Équipe, Mbappé and Luis Enrique cleared the air on Saturday morning in a face-to-face meeting. The meeting was thought to be “constructive”, and centred around Mbappé’s usage by Luis Enrique.

It is understood that, as the Spaniard looks to prepare for the future, Mbappé could be utilised less frequently in Ligue 1 matches between now and the end of the season, although he is still expected to be a key component in the UEFA Champions League.

The Mbappé farewell tour will still stop in Marseille, Montpellier, Lorient, Le Havre, Nice and Metz, however, the star performer may not be present at every leg of the tour as he prepares to wave goodbye to the French top-flight.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle