Kylian Mbappe will be the new Pele, says Wenger

There is no limit to what Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe could achieve. Still, at only 22 years of age, the youngster is showing tremendous ability and maturity, which could lead him to become as successful as the legendary Brazilian Pele. This prediction may be bold, but former Arsenal manager and current FIFA Head of Football Development certainly has faith in the youngster.

Wenger has an excellent track record in developing young players throughout his managerial career, so he must know what he’s talking about. Asked if he could predict where will Kylian Mbappe be in five years’ time, he wasted no time in pitting the talented forward up there with the very best.

"Kylian will be on the roofs of the world. He will be, at 27, very mature. On the pitch, he will be playing centrally. Players are spent slower when they play centrally. On the wings, there comes an age when that becomes difficult… At centre forward, they can play longer. With age, also comes more efficiency… I don’t know if he’ll be still playing for PSG or Real Madrid or somewhere else. But will he have several Ballon D’Ors? I hope that for him."

Despite his young age, Mbappe is considered a mature player, one who can lead by example. It’s a valuable asset to have in any team. Both at club level and for the French national team, the former AS Monaco youngster continues to impress fans and pundits alike.

"Kylian must not place any limitations on himself. I have said, already for several years, that there are similarities between Kylian and Pele. He is a good example to follow. Pele played in 4 World Cups, he won 3. Kylian, at the age of 22, has already played in one and won one. The French national team, which won the World Cup with key young players and by a distance, has it all to win the next one. Behind every title and goal Kylian has achieved, there has been a strong foundation off the pitch. There have been no missteps in his journey. He has exceptional maturity. He is well guided, well surrounded. The environment of a player always counts for a lot in terms of an eventually successful career. He needs stability - and he has it."

France is the reigning World Champion, having won the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Arsene Wenger hopes the public will appreciate Mbappe more than some players who’d represented the country in the past and who only received the deserved recognition once their careers were over.

"I don’t think we realise how lucky we are, in France, to have Kylian Mbappe. It is always the case but we only realise later on. It was the case with Platini, Zidane, Henry. We always find the best athletes to be even greater when they are gone. They love us more when we are dead than when we are alive."