Paris Saint-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino has hailed Kylian Mbappe after the forward scored twice in a 2-0 win over Reims in Ligue 1.
Despite links to Real Madrid, the France international started the match on Sunday, justifying his coach’s decision with a headed opener from Angel Di Maria's cross and following it up with a close-range finish on the back of Achraf Hakimi's break.
Nevertheless, uncertainty remains over Mbappe's future amid back-to-back bids from Los Blancos and with the end of his contract looming next summer - but now his coach has led a glowing tribute from staff and players alike after another match-winning performance.
What was said?
Speaking after the game, Pochettino told Amazon Prime: “He is our player. But you know the business, it's full of rumours. Our president and our director are very clear. He is here with us and we are happy with him. He is an important player, and it is a gift to have him with us.”
Marquinhos, who was making his first start of the season, added: “We don't even try to ask him about his future. He has his goals, but if we think about ourselves, we want him to stay. And if he stays, he will help us a lot.
“Our attack is magic, but he does not make us forget the others. It is important to have an efficient team. The season is long.”
Similarly, Marco Verratti said: “Of course I want him to stay. We like to play with the strongest. We didn't discover Kylian today. He has been scoring a lot of goals for a few years. He is a phenomenon, we are very happy with him.”