Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo has stressed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva will not be leaving the club.
PSG manager Carlo Ancelotti has asked to leave the Parc des Princes outfit for Real Madrid, a request that has since been rejected, and Brazilian Leonardo is admant that the futures of top scorer Ibrahimovic and highly-praised defender Thiago Silva are not tied to that of their Italian boss.
He told L’Equipe: “Neither Ibrahimovic, nor Thiago Silva will leave the club if Ancelotti moves on.”
Leonardo’s sentiments were echoed by the South American centre-half’s representative, Paulo Tonietto, who insisted that there was no chance of the former Milan man leaving the French capital.
“There’s zero chance that he (Thiago Silva) will leave this summer. PSG do not want to sell him. He’s an important part of their project and he will stay put regardless of what will happen with Ancelotti,” Tonietto said in an interview with RMC Sport.
Leonardo also revealed that the newly-crowned Ligue 1 champions are still trying to convince Ancelotti to stay in Paris, but added that he understands why the former Chelsea manager has been tempted by the prospect of taking over at the Bernabeu.
“We hope that Carlo will change his mind. I fully understand that when a club like Real Madrid states an interest, a coach will think it over,” Leonardo explained.
“Ancelotti has always had the unconditional support of this club and when an offer from Real Madrid comes in, it’s a challenge for us. The best way to handle these matters is by sitting down to discuss them.”
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