Kylian Mbappe has been branded a "lost little boy" and has been urged to leave Paris Saint-Germain by ex-France international Christophe Dugarry.

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Mbappe contract ends in 2024Links with Real Madrid persistDugarry wants "lost little boy" goneWHAT HAPPENED?

The mercurial French forward is free to begin negotiating a contract with other clubs as his current deal with the capital side expires at the end of June. Real Madrid have always been frontrunners for his signature, with links to Mbappe dating back to the drawn-out saga of 2021, while Liverpool recently emerged as potential candidates. Amid renewed uncertainty over the 25-year-old's future in Paris, former France and Marseille forward Dugarry has called for him to leave for the benefit of the club.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT DUGARRY SAID

The World Cup winner told : "I think Mbappe is stagnating today. I hope he leaves, from the bottom of my heart. I think he's becoming more and more predictable, he lacks strength and character, he disappears from games too often. He's wanted all the power, you get the feeling he's a little boy, you get the impression the suit's too big. I feel he's a bit lost, there's no sense of symbiosis. Things haven't been going well at PSG for a few months now."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While Mbappe's 18 league goals across 11 games this season – which comfortably place him top of the Ligue 1 top scorers table – would challenge Dugarry's notions of "stagnation", talk of his potential exit will undoubtedly be having a negative effect behind the scenes. This was evidenced in a recent press conference with manager Luis Enrique, who snapped at reporters when asked about Mbappe's links with Real Madrid.

DID YOU KNOW?

Mbappe's 18 league goals for 2023-24 contributed towards a staggering 34 scored across all of 2023. According to , only Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, who joined the club from Tottenham in the summer, posted more (38).