Aurelien Tchouameni, a new Real Madrid midfielder, claims Kylian Mbappe tried to persuade him to leave the Spanish club and join Paris Saint-Germain instead.
After completing his physical, Tchouameni was officially introduced by Madrid on Tuesday.
The LaLiga giants will pay about £85 million for his departure.
“I had the chance to choose other clubs, yes – but as soon as I knew Real Madrid wanted me, I never doubted,” Tchouameni said.
He added: “Kylian decided to stay at PSG and already knew I was going to leave Monaco. Mbappe spoke to me and asked me if I could come to Paris.
“But I told him I wanted to join Real Madrid, my choice was always Madrid. He understood my decision, he’s happy for me.”
