Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola would ruin Kylian Mbappe as he would stifle the Frenchman’s attacking ability, Marcel Desailly has claimed. The former Chelsea defender believes Guardiola has ‘killed’ the creativity of Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish, and insists the Spanish tactician would do the same to Mbappe.
Paris Saint-Germain star Mbappe has been loosely linked with Manchester City. The forward seemed destined to move in the summer amid a bitter falling-out with bosses at PSG.
That issue appears to have been resolved, with the 24-year-old reintegrated into the first team. However, Mbappe’s contract expires next summer and he could become a high-profile free agent come the end of the campaign.
Premier League champions City will surely want to compete with Real Madrid for Mbappe’s signature. A strike partnership of Mbappe and Erling Haaland would be too good an opportunity to turn down, with the pair likely to dominate European football for the next decade.
But former France centre-back Desailly insists that it would be a bad move for the 2018 World Cup winner. The 55-year-old believes Guardiola’s disciplined style of football has stifled the creativity of the likes of Silva and Grealish, and would do the same to Mbappe.
“I know [Gael] Clichy said he’d thrive at City, but It won’t be easy if Mbappe goes to City. It sounds strange, but I don’t think Mbappe is meant to play for City. There is too much discipline,” Desailly told Gambling Zone.
“In France, we say that the way City play doesn’t leave much room for individuals. With all their passing, they don’t really suit players who want to take defenders on. They pass, they move. Silva and Grealish both have the ability to play number ten, but that’s been killed by Guardiola’s philosophy.
“He wants them to stay on their side, get the ball, show speed, play the balls, and receive the ball back, and play one-twos. Mbappe doesn’t do that. He uses the ball to make the difference.
“The other players will look at him with confusion as he’s not supposed to do that! There’ll be a drop in his confidence if he doesn’t start well there, either. He’s a top player, but not a Man City player.”
Mbappe is expected to decide his future over the next few months. In January, he can sign a pre-transfer agreement with a club outside of France as his contract will have entered its final year. Real Madrid have long been strongly rumoured to be his likeliest destination.
