Paris Saint Germain football player Kylian Mbappe is reportedly dating Ines Rau, who is the first transgender model to appear on the Playboy cover.

Mbappe was pictured looking very close to the model on a luxury yacht.

According to Italian news outlet Corriere dello Sports, Mbappe was seen at the Cannes Film Festival before this.

It has been reported that the two have been dating for several months.

Rau made her first appearance in Playboy in 2014 but became the model's first transgender model to star on the cover in 2017.

There was backlash over Rau's appearance on the cover and Cooper Hefner, the son of the Playboy founder Hugh Hefner said: "We should collectively be fighting for a more open world, not one that promotes hatred and a lack of acceptance."

Rau said in a previous interview for Playboy, via ETOnline: "I lived a long time without saying I was transgender."

"I dated a lot and almost forgot. I was scared of never finding a boyfriend and being seen as weird. Then I was like, 'You know, you should just be who you are. It's salvation to speak the truth about yourself, whether it's your gender, sexuality, whatever."

"The people who reject you aren;t worth it. It's not about being loved by others; it's about loving yourself." 

She added: "When I was doing this shoot, I was thinking of all those hard days in my childhood."

"And now everything happening gives me so much joy and happiness. I thought, 'Am I really going to be a Playmate -- me?' It's the most beautiful compliment I've ever received. It's like getting a giant bouquet of roses."

Mbappe was previously in a relationship with Emma Smet, a famous French actress and model.