Real Madrid Star Not Missed at PSG: Media Member Claims Squad Performs Better Without Him | OneFootball

One of the storylines facing Paris Saint-Germain this 2024-25 season is how they will perform without Kylian Mbappé.

The 25-year-old left this summer as a free agent to sign with Real Madrid, but French radio presenter and TV writer Cyril Hanouna says the team already plays better without him.

It’s a small sample size of three matches, but the Parisians have scored 13 goals to start the 2024-25 season. Moreover, Bradley Barcola has scored four goals in the first three Ligue 1 matchdays, so the 21-year-old is striving in the left-wing position that Mbappé left behind.

PSG’s biggest test will come in the UEFA Champions League, but Hanouna explained that the Parisians can handle life without their all-time leading goal scorer.

“PSG didn’t make any money off Mbappé,” Hanouna said in an interview with Europe 1 (h/t Le10Sport). “The only thing they gained is that they actually play better without him. I even told Nasser Al-Khelaïfi this last week.

“Nasser mentioned that Kylian was going to leave, and I asked him, ‘Did you win the Champions League with Mbappé?’ When he said no, I told him, ‘Well, there’s your answer. Be happy, grab your racket, and let’s go play padel.'”

The capital club is a young team with an average age of 23.7, so there will be peaks and valleys. Nonetheless, supporters hope that this squad can handle the adversities of the Champions League, which is a challenging league phase.