Kylian Mbappe has confessed he considered rejecting the chance to join Real Madrid this summer to give his younger brother Ethan the chance of extending his own stay with Paris Saint-Germain.
After a lengthy contract saga, Mbappe ultimately left PSG during the summer when his deal expired and inked a deal with Madrid, while 17-year-old brother Ethan also departed on a free transfer to join Lille.
Mbappe revealed in an interview with Canal+ that the guilt of seeing his situation impact Ethan's future with PSG caused him to reconsider leaving, with the older brother even offering to extend with the French side to keep Ethan happy.
"It could have happened. It's what affected me the most," Mbappe said. "His 'Real Madrid' was PSG. And indirectly, I took it away from him.
"He told me that he didn't want to stay, that it wasn't normal for them to do that to me. I told him, 'If you want to stay, I'll renew and we'll stay for a while'. I would have given up my dream of Madrid for him. Ethan is my brother, you can't touch him. What's the point of signing for the best club in the world if you end your brother's career?"
Kylian Mbappe, Ethan Mbapp
Mbappe could have stayed at PSG for his brother / FRANCK FIFE/GettyImages
Ultimately, both brothers decided to leave. Ethan was part of Lille's senior side in the opening weeks of the season before suffering a nasty injury, while Kylian has endured on-field problems which have hampered his start to life with Madrid.
"It hasn't been the best start to the season, but we are preparing for the trophies that will count," he said. "We have already won the European Super Cup.
"We haven't lived up to our expectations, but at Real Madrid we are looking forward to the second half of the season. That's when you will be judged.
"You discover a new context, a new club, climate and environment. You open all your senses. It is more about observing. I am going to succeed here."
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