Kylian Mbappe could be reunited with exiled player who 'always found him' after admitting he stopped 'making runs in behind'

Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe once explained why he stopped making runs in behind, and it was down to one exiled player.

During the summer transfer window, French superstar Mbappe left Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint Germain as he completed a high-profile move to La Liga champions Madrid.

Despite a difficult start to life in the Spanish capital, Mbappe has so far racked up 21 goals and three assists in 31 appearances across all competitions for Los Blancos.

Back in the summer, during Euro 2024 in Germany, Mbappe spoke about why he stopped making runs in behind when playing for his country.

Ahead of France's quarter-final clash against Portugal, Mbappe name-dropped Paul Pogba as one of the reasons why he stopped making darting runs in behind.

The 26-year-old said: "Why do I not make runs in behind anymore? It depends on the team.

"When we had Pogba for example, I could just blindly make a run and he would find me. Now I have to adapt to a different situation."

Pogba was ineligible for selection for Euro 2024 following his positive doping test.

He was banned after testing positive for DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) - a compound which promotes the production of hormones in the body including testosterone.

Since then, the 31-year-old has had his suspension reduced to 18 months and now that time has passed, Pogba is looking for a new club.

Paul Pogba is currently a free agent. Image: Getty

On the back of his ban, Pogba had his contract terminated by Italian Serie A side Juventus and is currently a free agent.

Over the last few weeks, the midfielder has been linked with clubs in Saudi Arabia, Major League Soccer and even the Premier League.

However, no decision has so far been made on his immediate future.

Further down the line, it is possible that Mbappe could be reunited with Pogba if the ex-Manchester United man manages to get back to his best, meaning the door to return to the France team could still be open.

Earlier in the month, Pogba's wife, Zulay, added fuel to the Pogba rumour fire as she posted a picture of Madrid's match against Las Palmas. With a caption that read: "Can’t wait to see Paul Pogba play again."

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