'I wanted players...' PSG manager boldly asserts that the club is better off Kylian Mbappe

Ligue 1 table toppers Paris Saint-Germain have shown improvements in both their attacking and defensive play since star striker Kylian Mbappe transferred to Real Madrid last year, according to coach Luis Enrique. This statement comes ahead of their match against third-placed AS Monaco on Friday. Mbappe departed for the Spanish giants in June after spending seven years in Paris, where he scored over 170 goals in more than 200 appearances for the club.

Luis Enrique's bold statement sparks discussion 

Luis Enrique emphasised his belief in the team's superiority, supported by the statistics. The players embraced this perspective as a challenge. While it's true that keeping Kylian would have been ideal for PSG, the team's performance has been exceptional in his absence. Enrique expressed that he values a balanced approach over-relying on a single player to score 40 goals.

"I was very brave last season when I told you that we would have a better team in attack and defence," Luis Enrique said.

"I still think that we are better; the numbers are there to say it. The players took it as a challenge. Of course we would have liked to keep Kylian because everyone loved him, but the team is responding... at a spectacular level," he said.

"I told you that rather than having a player who scores 40 goals, I wanted players who all score a lot. Faced with a situation that we did not want but which happened, the maturity of the team is very good," he added.

Reigning champions PSG have established themselves as a formidable force in Europe's top five leagues, remaining unbeaten after 20 games and holding a comfortable 10-point lead over Marseille.

Luis Enrique is now looking to 27-year-old Dembele, who has recently shown his remarkable scoring ability with two goals against Monaco, to step up as a leader for the team.