Kylian Mbappe should stay at Paris Saint-Germain for one more season before considering a move to Real Madrid, according to ex-France international Bacary Sagna, who believes his fellow countryman has a real opportunity to win the Champions League with PSG.
Mbappe continues to be heavily linked with a move to Madrid and there are suggestions the Spanish giants hope to agree a world-record fee for the 21-year-old at the end of the season.
But Sagna - who made 67 appearances for France between 2007 and 2016 - believes the forward would be better served waiting at least another year before opting for a switch to the Santiago Bernabeu.
PSG are among the favourites for the Champions League title this season having seen off Borussia Dortmund in the last 16. The current Covid-19 outbreak, however, means it is uncertain when the competition will be completed.
“I think playing one more season in Paris would be good for him because Paris has a good team and they have a good chance to win the Champions League,” Sagna told Goal.
“Paris are in a good way so as long as they play with confidence and don’t think about what has happened to them in the past in the Champions League, they have a very good chance.
“When they played against Dortmund I didn’t expect them to win because I felt they still had this fear of losing, but it was different.
“And whenever Neymar and Mbappe play and they have the right attitude on the pitch, they can beat anyone. When you see Neymar tracking back like he did against Dortmund it’s a good sign.
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“So before leaving, it would be good for him [Mbappe] to be successful with Paris.”
Mbappe’s affection for Madrid and Zinedine Zidane has long been known and at one stage it looked like he would be heading for Spain having decided to leave Monaco in 2017.
But he opted instead for a move to Paris, where he has scored 71 goals in just 92 appearances and has won back-to-back Ligue 1 titles.
His contract is due to expire in 2022, however, and PSG have yet to make a breakthrough in talks over an extension.
Speculation is rife that he could be on the move at the end of the current season and Sagna accepts the young striker has a big decision to make.
“It’s difficult to refuse Real Madrid, so it’s going to be a tough period for him,” said the former Arsenal and Manchester City defender.
“As a football fan of course you want to see him playing at his best level and for the best team. But Madrid has [Karim] Benzema and Benzema is the main player for Madrid. It’s tricky.”