da casino： The France forward made headlines after refusing to sit with his team-mates after being replaced against Monaco, but he can have no complaints

da bwin： There were only four Paris Saint-Germain fans holding up the banner, but its message was clear. The quartet of ultras stood before the industrial brick of the Parc des Princes on Sunday, proudly displaying a piece of fabric with the block text "KM: Vivement LE 30/06." Or, in English, "KM, looking forward to 30/06."

And so has begun another turn in the Kylian Mbappe story, perhaps the sour beginning of what could be a turbulent final chapter, after the Parisian star revealed his intent to leave the club at the end of the season. Mbappe, for his part, has insisted that he will try his utmost to win trophies before his departure, and has always asserted his desire to fight on all fronts as long as he is still clad in the flashy Air Jordan strip of PSG.

That goodwill might not be mutual, though. Since it became clear that Mbappe will not be PSG player next season, his relationships with manager Luis Enrique and sections of the club's fanbase have deteriorated, the early signs of reluctant acceptance steadily fading. Instead, we now have the Parisian poster boy falling out of favour at his hometown club.

And in this messy organisation – one that Mbappe has had de-facto control of for years now – he should know more than anyone that ruthlessness is embedded within the club. He is now, ironically, suffering from the consequences of an environment that he helped cultivate. Luis Enrique, the relentless authoritarian, has every right to phase his soon-to-depart star out of the line-up – and bench him whenever he wants.

(C)Getty imagesThe inevitable confirmed

At first, this all seemed rather civil. The news of Mbappe's pending departure broke inconspicuously, a Thursday mashing of keyboards at laptops all around the world breaking up an already busy news cycle. But there was nothing insidious about the timing. This was not a Wayne-Rooney-esque announcement on the day of a Champions League clash.

And there seemed to be an acceptance from everyone involved. Mbappe behaved normally on social media and in interviews. Nasser Al-Khelaifi didn't look happy – how could he be? – but he didn't seem despondent, either. Luis Enrique, characteristically, snapped at a question or two, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. No boos rang down from the Parisian ultras; no insulting comments made the rounds on the internet. Even Mbappe's team-mates resisted the urge to express any ill-will.

The early vibes were good. Him leaving was inevitable, and everyone seemed to know it.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMbappe benched

The good times only lasted for about 48 hours, though. On February 17, just two days Mbappe's pending Parisian departure was confirmed, he started on the bench for the Parisians' 2-0 win over Nantes. The official club line was that Mbappe needed a day off after playing all 90 minutes in a taxing Champions League clash with Real Sociedad.

But Mbappe had failed to start in only one previous game for PSG all season, when he played just 40 minutes against Toulouse after working his way back into the side in the wake of a turbulent summer. Back then, Mbappe was forcing his way back into Luis Enrique's good graces after trying to force his way to Madrid a year earlier than the club had planned. He was unable to play the whole game, largely because he was short of full fitness after sitting out a chunk of pre-season.

So, February 17 felt more like a warning shot. Mbappe, inevitably, came on and scored – burying an effort to finish off a comfortable victory. Since then, he has started both of PSG's subsequent matches, but lasted just over an hour against Rennes, while against Monaco on Friday, he was replaced at half-time. Mbappe reacted by opting not to sit on the bench with the rest of his team-mates for the second half. Instead, he ascended into the Stade Louis II stands, and took in the rest of the game alongside his mother, Fayza Lamari – making time for a few selfies on his walk up.

Everything looked calm, but Mbappe is clearly not untouchable anymore.

GettyConcerning performances

Mbappe may feel hard-done by here, and he has every right to. No top-level athlete likes to sit on the bench. However, there still is a nagging feeling that the forward hasn't quite been at his best of late. He has scored just once in last three outings, and that came via a late penalty against Nantes in a game that PSG were already leading.

His most recent showing against Monaco, in particular, was of some concern. In 45 minutes, Mbappe managed just 29 touches, completed only one dribble, and took one shot – which went off target. His work rate in that contest, too, was lacking, and PSG looked better without him after the break.

This is, admittedly, a small sample size. Zoom out, and Mbappe is still one of the best in the world. He has scored 31 goals and added seven assists for the Parisians this season. Only Harry Kane and Lautaro Martinez have found the net more in domestic competitions. If this were a normal season – and if Mbappe was to play every minute – he could quite comfortably score 50.

This, then, may be a short-term stumble in his form. Mbappe, under most circumstances, is too good to bench.

GettyLuis Enrique doesn't take any sh*t

And in a way, Luis Enrique has been awaiting this opportunity. His appointment was an inadvertent stroke of luck for the Parisians. It is unclear how far exactly he was down Al-Khelaifi's long-list for the job, but he was certainly not the man they originally wanted. Luis Enrique is supposed to be too strong-willed for a club like PSG.

But in the nine months since his hiring, the Spaniard has casually taken on more power. First, he showed Neymar the door. Then, he let Marco Verratti walk. And when Mbappe played a high-profile game of brinksmanship over a Saudi Pro League move, it was Mbappe, not Luis Enrique, who blinked first.

It's the kind of challenge the Spaniard has publicly relished in the past. He had no problems letting Xavi go at Barcelona, and showed little hesitation in challenging both Neymar and Lionel Messi at Camp Nou when needed.

Mbappe's departure, then, is the change he has been looking for to implement his Parisian vision. The manager oversaw a busy summer of 12 incomings, pushing for the signature of a glut of emerging young talents. And with Mbappe being fazed out, his new post-galactico PSG wave has crashed into the side. Bradley Barcola, Goncalo Ramos and Lee Kang-In have all been offered more minutes.

Luis Enrique hinted at it last month: "Sooner or later, we have to that we get used to playing without him. It’s my philosophy to think about what's best for the team. I don’t want to argue. It’s my decision.”