It’s not an easy thing to break into the Paris Saint-Germain midfield as an attack-minded 21-year-old. With a guaranteed front three of Edinson Cavani, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe balanced by the automatic midfield selections of Adrien Rabiot and Marco Verratti, there’s only one remaining spot outside of defense for the likes of Angel Di Maria, Julian Draxler, Javier Pastore, Thiago Motta and Giovani Lo Celso (the 21-year-old referenced above) to battle for.

Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere has responded to rumors linking striker Mario Balotelli with a return to Serie A (Milan and Inter being the destinations bandied about) by saying, “Mario leaving? No, that’s impossible. You know his importance. It’s unimaginable.”

Well, happy birthday Kylian Mbappe, ya filthy animal! Today, December 20, Mbappe turns 19. The question of how good he’ll be a few years from now is dwarfed by the immediate: how good is this kid right now? Yes, today’s highlight is from a match against yo-yo club SM Caen, but my word. 

Christmas came early for Paris Saint-Germain. So what do you get the club that has money to buy everything? You gift them goals, of course. With über-expensive signings Neymar and Kylian Mbappe not starting, Strasbourg gave PSG two early goals in a 4-2 victory for the Parisians in a League Cup match on Wednesday. 

PSG really does not need anyone’s charity. The club that spent half a billion dollars on Neymar, not to mention another absurdly high fee for Mbappe, is doing just fine, thank you.

“For f**k’s sake. Have you got nothing else to talk about?” was Neymar’s recent response when asked about wild speculation linking him with a transfer to Real Madrid. No, is now the Spanish media’s resounding answer.