Sky-high confident Hakimi slaps Dembele with a glove: "I deserve Ballon d'Or"

This could cause quite a stir inside the Paris Saint-Germain locker room.

PSG's star Achraf Hakimi believes that he deserves a Ballon d'Or award for the best player in the world. It wouldn't be so controversial if his teammate Ousmane Dembele weren't the top favourite to win it.

Ballon d'Or nominees: 30 names, PSG's dominance and a few surprises

The versatile Moroccan full-back scored 11 goals across all competitions in the previous season, winning a Quadruple with Les Parisiens. The 26-year-old Hakimi is one of four defenders on the shortlist of 30 names, alongside his teammate Nuno Mendes, Virgil van Dijk and Denzel Dumfries.

Fabio Cannavaro was the last defender to win the award in 2006, but Hakimi believes he could have a real chance.

"When they put me in the Ballon d'Or debate, it's a dream. If I have a chance of winning, I think I deserve it too," as per quotes from Marca.

"The season I've just had is historic, and there aren't many players who have scored in the quarter finals, semi-finals and final, playing as a defender.

"Hakimi and I are not savages"

People often think I'm an attacker, but I'm a defender, in a back four, and it's more complicated.

"The stats I've achieved this year aren't those of a normal defender, and when a defender does that, I think he deserves it more than a striker."

We're not sure how Dembele would react to those words, but the Frenchman enjoyed the season of his life, scoring 35 goals in 53 appearances.