Leonardo was right about Kylian Mbappe: PSG created a monster they simply have to sell

Mbappe had just come off the bench to score a hat-trick in PSG's Champions League win over Club Brugge – and yet Dugarry was deeply concerned. "I'm afraid the dream could be broken with this boy; I feel that things could quickly turn bad," the former France international told RMC.

While nearly everyone else was focusing on the latest thrilling demonstration of Mbappe's prodigious talent, Dugarry was preoccupied with the forward's post-match comments. Mbappe made it clear that he had both wanted and expected to start the game in Belgium. He acknowledged "It's the coach's decision and you have to accept it." But then immediately added, "I wanted to show again that it's hard to do without me."

He certainly proved his point. And his desire to make his presence felt was interpreted by most pundits as the attitude of a true champion; that unwavering confidence in his own ability and the belief that he should always be on the field.

Dugarry, though, saw something else: a burgeoning sense of entitlement. He feared that the teenager, who had once skipped a title-winning party at Monaco to get sufficient sleep, was in danger of becoming a prima donna at PSG.

He predicted a "war of egos" at Parc des Princes if Mbappe was allowed to grow unchecked - and he was spot on, with the winger's colossal personality clash with Neymar creating a massive divide in the PSG dressing room last season.

The situation became so ridiculous that the pair even squabbled over a spot-kick during the Ligue 1 meeting with Montpellier last August. In the same game, Mbappe also petulantly - and unforgivably - turned his back on the play simply because he hadn't received the ball from Vitinha.

Mbappe's very public frustration with his employers was of far greater significance, though.

Last summer, Nasser Al-Khelaifi made Mbappe the "cornerstone of the club's project" in a desperate bid to convince the France international to reject a move to Real Madrid - yet less than six months later, Mbappe was criticising PSG for failing to sign him an Olivier Giroud-like No.9 to play off.

Earlier this month, he went even further. Having already confirmed that he has no intention of taking up the option to extend his contract until 2025, meaning he will be a free agent next year, Mbappe effectively blamed PSG's poor recruitment for their inability to win the Champions League.

Clearly, he has a point. PSG have made a succession of mistakes in the transfer market in recent years, but he's part of the problem. He says that PSG is a "divisive" club, but he's one of the reasons why.

Neymar and Lionel Messi have copped nearly all of the flak for PSG's failure to get past the last 16 of the Champions League for the past two seasons, and that's unsurprising. Neymar's injury issues have long been linked to his unprofessional lifestyle, while Messi's lack of love for PSG was obvious to the fans he only once bothered to acknowledge.

Consequently, Mbappe escaped any serious scrutiny. Jerome Rothen, who effectively made Messi the scapegoat for PSG's incessant underperformance in Europe, explained that the club's local hero was beyond reproach because Mbappe nearly always delivered on the pitch.

But that argument cannot be used as an excuse for his silly strops and incessant flirting with a move to Madrid. Messi was slated for allegedly using PSG to prepare himself for the 2022 World Cup - but Mbappe has repeatedly caused chaos at PSG by constantly airing his grievances in public.

"With his behaviour over the last two years, Mbappe is showing that he's not yet a player capable of really guiding a team," Leonardo argued. "He's a great player, not a leader. It's hard to build a team around him."

Rothen has argued that perfectionists can always prove problematic within a group environment, but must always be accommodated for the good of the team - though even he conceded that France coach Dider Deschamps would have had reservations about appointing Mbappe as captain because "he makes too much noise. When there's a fire, often it is the captain who should try to put it out. Kylian, being as frank as he is, would pour petrol on it!"

By indulging this childish behaviour, PSG have been made to look weak by Mbappe. Of course, it's easy to understand why they have fought so hard to keep him up until this point. He is an extraordinary talent, a bona fide superstar who is destined to break record after record, and win trophy after trophy with the right team around him. He is also absolutely integral to their brand.

But Mbappe isn't just a valuable attraction anymore - he's a damaging distraction. Ask any fan of any club if they'd now want Mbappe in their starting line-up and there would be, at the very least, some hesitation, some caveats - and all related to question marks over his attitude.

It certainly seems as if PSG have belatedly reached that conclusion. His contractual situation completely overshadowed Luis Enrique's unveiling as the club's new coach - and it will continue to do so until Mbappe's future is resolved once and for all.

Al-Khelaifi quite correctly decided that unless Mbappe signs a contract extension, he will be sold this summer. The idea of losing the most valuable player in the world on a free transfer next year is utterly unthinkable. But, really, this is also about PSG finally bringing an end to this incessant power play. PSG are so desperate to be considered a serious club but they have facilitated this farce for far too long.

As Paolo Di Canio told Sky Sport Italia, "PSG have put themselves in this situation because they coddled him. Now, they must limit the damage and make a decision. We can judge PSG's errors but - and I am saying it openly - also the indecency of the lad. Because that's what it is - indecency. He took advantage of this situation a year ago and now he’s doing the same, threatening to leave on a free transfer next year."

The soap opera simply had to end this summer. It's time for PSG to move on from Mbappe. It's time to rid themselves of the monster they made. And, with Mbappe finally on the transfer list, PSG might have just proved they're beginning to transition into a more serious club.