"You can’t replace him directly.... replace him with the team" - PSG star believes team are 'collectively better' since exit of Kylian Mbappe

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Vitinha believes the team are collectively better since Kylian Mbappe's departure. The French superstar made his highly anticipated move to Real Madrid last summer following the expiry of his contract with the Parisians.

Mbappe had been a key figure of PSG's first team since arriving from Monaco, initially on loan, in the summer of 2017. The player was central to the club's recent rise, registering 256 goals and 106 assists from 308 games.

Kylian Mbappe was linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu for a while, but PSG managed to rebuke Real Madrid's advances twice. However, they were powerless to stop Los Blancos last summer, with the player leaving as a free agent.

Speaking to The Times (via GOAL), Vitinha insisted that PSG have tried to replace the Frenchman as a team.

“It’s a different season. We don’t have a problem talking about it. Kylian is one of the best, if not the best. We knew it would be difficult. You can’t replace him directly. But you replace him with the team. That’s what we did. But that takes time. I think we’re collectively better and we have shown it already. Sometimes the goals aren’t coming but we have a lot of great forwards,” Vitinha said.

The Parisians have won 19 of their 27 games across competitions since Kylian Mbappe's exit. While they are leading the Ligue 1 table once again, Luis Enrique's team are 25th in the Champions League, and in danger of missing out on the knockouts.

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How has Kylian Mbappe performed since leaving PSG?

Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe has done quite well since swapping PSG for Real Madrid last summer. The French superstar has registered 18 goals and four assists from 30 games across competitions this season.

Mbappe has already won the UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup with Los Blancos this season. The 26-year-old initially struggled to find his feet at the Santiago Bernabeu, owing to a change in position.

Vinicius Junior is the preferred option for the left-forward role under Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian manager has deployed Mbappe through the middle with mixed effects so far.

While the Frenchman hasn't been at his scintillating best yet, he has still shown flashes of brilliance. Mbappe has scored seven goals in his last 10 games across competitions and is slowly finding his feet with Real Madrid. His contract at the Santiago Bernabeu runs until 2029.