Mbappe left off Monaco's squad ahead of Metz clash as exit rumours persist
Kylian Mbappe won't be available for AS Monaco's match Friday against Metz, fueling speculation that a lucrative transfer could be on the horizon before the summer transfer window closes.
Mbappe wasn't included in the 19-man squad selected by manager Leonardo Jardim ahead of Monaco's trip north despite no reports of a fresh injury.
It will be the second match Monaco plays without Mbappe, who was dropped ahead of the defending Ligue 1 champion's 4-1 victory over Dijon because Jadrim wanted to "protect him" from the rampant speculation over his future.
On Thursday, news emerged that the French forward is considering his options but remains undecided, as he contemplates a possible transfer to either Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, or Manchester City.
"Kylian's issue is very difficult," PSG youth academy sporting director Luis Fernandez said to Cadena Ser, as translated by Jonathan Johnson of ESPN FC. "He did not play on Sunday, and there is a lot of talk and rumours, but you can see that it (a move to PSG) is not an easy task.
"There are four or five players that need to leave PSG due to financial fair play.
"I think he has two or three teams in his mind which are Real, PSG and perhaps City. City have a good friend of his, Benjamin Mendy, who has gone there (from Monaco)."
Mbappe, 18, appeared in Monaco's first two competitive matches of the season, but failed to find the back of the net.