There is absolutely no denying that Kylian Mbappe is one of the best football players on the planet, but there is a sense that he must leave Paris Saint-Germain in order to fulfill his true potential.
Of course, Mbappe still has the majority of his career ahead of him. But at 23, he is no longer viewed as a young player. The longer he stays at PSG, the less time he will have to make his mark on Europe’s top leagues.
⚽️ 9️⃣❗️👟 5️⃣❗️@KMbappe is nominated to the @UNFP Trophy for Player of the Month for April in #Ligue1 !🗳 To vote ⤵️— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) May 9, 2022
⚽️ 9️⃣❗️👟 5️⃣❗️@KMbappe is nominated to the @UNFP Trophy for Player of the Month for April in #Ligue1 !🗳 To vote ⤵️
Alongside PSG, clubs such as Marseille, Monaco and Lyon make Ligue 1 an attractive league. But the French top flight is nowhere near the level of the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A and Germany’s Bundesliga.
It’s all well and good scoring tons of goals for the best team in a relatively non-competitive league.
But if Mbappe wants to be recognised as a one of the greatest players of his generation, he will need to prove himself at the highest level.
With two games remaining this season, PSG find themselves 12 points clear of second-place Marseille.
Having lost just four of their 36 games, the Parisians wrapped up the Ligue 1 title a couple of weeks ago.
Mbappe has bagged a whopping 24 goals and 16 assists in 33 league appearances this term, meaning he is on course to clinch his fourth successive Golden Boot. As it stands, he sits three goals clear of his nearest challengers.
When you look at the bigger picture, he has racked up 167 goals and 84 assists in 214 games across all competitions for PSG. But has he got what it takes to emulate those numbers in England or Spain?
Of course, there is no doubting Mbappe’s ability. The 23-year-old boasts a lethal blend of blistering pace, mesmerizing trickery, genius movement and pin-point finishing. Let’s not forget that he also has a World Cup winner’s medal under his belt.
But if he wants to be viewed as an all-time great, he needs to step out of his comfort zone in Ligue 1 and challenge himself against the toughest opponents in the game.
Mbappe has long been linked with a move to Real Madrid, while Liverpool have also been touted as a potential destination. Whatever happens, he needs to join an elite club sooner rather than later.