Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim has insisted that the club are trying to protect Real Madrid and Manchester City target Kylian Mbappe from the transfer storm surrounding him this summer but admits that the striker is not in the state of mind to start for his team this season.

Mbappe’s future at Monaco has been a topic of discussion all summer with some of the biggest clubs in Europe trying to snare him away from the Stade Louis II over the last few months.




Real Madrid and Manchester City have been interested in attracting the hottest young talent in world football but it has emerged over the last few weeks that Mbappe wants to join Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG have already signed Neymar by paying his €222m release clause and while Monaco are unwilling to do business with their league rivals, the club could sell if they receive an offer of €180m for Mbappe.
 


The player wants to leave Monaco this summer but his future remains uncertain going into the last two weeks of the window and he was eventually benched in Monaco’s 4-1 win over Dijon last weekend.  

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Jardim stressed that Monaco are not punishing Mbappe but are trying to protect an 18-year-old player from all the noise surrounding his future at the club.

He admits that the youngster’s head is not in the right place at the moment but feels it is normal because of the kind of offers he has on his table this summer.

Jardim told French sports daily L’Equipe: “We have never been used to punishing our players.

“That is not the appropriate word, we are protecting him.

"With all the things happening around an 18-year-old kid, it’s our responsibility to protect him from the storm.

“It’s a decision made by the club, which includes me, [Monaco vice president] Vadim [Vasilyev] and the sporting director [Antonio Cordon]. It’s the best decision for the player, the squad and the club.

“I am always in support of protecting players who need it.

"My philosophy is to play with players who are 100 per cent into it; Kylian is not at 100 per cent and he is not in the shape to play.

“It’s normal, if another newspaper offers you 15 times your salary you will type less well on your computer.”

Monaco have been willing to offer him a new contract in order to keep him at the club this season.