Marco Verratti joked that the constant speculation around Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappe's future has made him "sick", as recent reports indicating the forward would depart to Real Madrid sent him into a tailspin.
The French attacker can leave PSG for free at the end of the season and discussion about his future has hung over the 2021-22 campaign.
GOAL confirmed this week that Mbappe has agreed to join Real Madrid at the end of the season, with an announcement to be made after the Champions League final.
What has Verratti said about Mbappe?
Verratti acknowledges that whatever choice Mbappe makes will be significant for PSG, but he gets annoyed by all the discussion surrounding the 23-year-old.
He told Le Parisien: “It will have an impact on the club, whatever his decision will be. He’s one of the best players on the planet right now so we all want him to stay here. But when I speak with him, it’s more just to have a laugh.
"In football, when you have something on your mind, if a decision is coming up, you don’t talk about it.
"It’s his decision, and I’m waiting for it like you are.
"When I was on my day off and I saw a notification saying that Kylian is in Madrid, it made me sick [laughs].
"Even if afterwards he told me: 'Don’t worry, I was on holiday'. We’re all waiting to find out."
Asked if he gives Mbappe advice about his future, the midfielder said: "No, because he knows what I think.
"I wouldn’t be a good advisor, in any case not an objective one. I wouldn’t be thinking about his own good, but that of everyone here in Paris."
Verratti hits out at PSG protests
Tensions have been high at PSG this season after their last-16 elimination from the Champions League against Real Madrid.
The French team's fans have jeered at the players in several occasions, aiming their anger at Lionel Messi and Neymar in particular.
Verratti understands that the supporters are angry, but says games at Parc des Princes have started to feel like away matches due to the atmosphere.
"I don’t think their anger is just linked to results. The Madrid game was the eye-opener for all of that, but there were great expectations at the start of the season," he said.
"It was being said that [director] Leonardo and Nasser [Al-Khelaifi, president] had brought in big players, and now it’s their fault if we’re not winning? It’s too easy to say that.
"Supporters are allowed to whistle but not during a match. During the game, we are all together. Sometimes it feels like we’re not playing at home anymore.
"It’s difficult to understand. We need the supporters, and there are other ways to get your anger across. We can talk, for example.
"I have no issue with [talking to the fans]. If it’s a discussion like today, calm and respectful, then yes.
"I know that the fans spend a lot of money on season tickets and on away games. So they are allowed to clap or whistle at the end of games, but if we all want to grow together, we shouldn’t throw everything in the bin.
"It’s hard to take, but we were knocked out by Real Madrid, who are a great team.
"Imagine if we’d been knocked out by Villarreal like Bayern Munich were, we wouldn’t have made it out of the stadium!
"We have to be united to reach our goal. I know Paris will become the best club in the world. It just needs time."