Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe grabbed the headlines in this week’s Champions League action with a remarkable hat-trick in his side’s 4-1 victory at Barcelona.
However, the Frenchman is front and centre of Real Madrid news on Friday as he was a protagonist during the press conference of Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane.
The full quotes from the coach have been carried by Marca and he once again spoke of his great admiration for the player.
Mbappe has frequently spoken of his continued admiration for Zidane – fuelling reports of a future move to the Spanish capital, while Zidane has been reciprocal with his compliments.
On Friday, Zidane said: “I’m not surprised by what Mbappé did at the Camp Nou.”
He was then asked directly if he was a fan of the striker: “I watch all the games and I enjoy it when I see good things. But that is just like all the fans.
“Do I prefer Mbappe or Haaland? Well, as I was saying, what I like is to see good players and they are two players of the present and of the future, but I’m not going to answer who I prefer. The important thing is that these players are excellent.
“Am I motivated by being Mbappe’s idol? As always, I have already answered many times about that.”
Mbappe is out of contract in the French capital in 2022, and that has fuelled speculation that he could be interested in leaving the club and potential switching to Madrid to link up with Zidane, whom he idolised from childhood.
The striker has netted 111 goals in 153 games since joining PSG in 2017.