'Mbappe reminds me of Ronaldo in his Man Utd days' – Griezmann backs PSG star to hit 50 goals-a-season
'Mbappe reminds me of Ronaldo in his Man Utd days' – Griezmann backs PSG star to hit 50 goals-a-season

'Mbappe reminds me of Ronaldo in his Man Utd days' – Griezmann backs PSG star to hit 50 goals-a-season

The France international is already a World Cup winner and global superstar, but is being tipped to take his game to even greater heights

Kylian Mbappe has been likened to a young Cristiano Ronaldo by France team-mate Antoine Griezmann, with the Paris Saint-Germain star being backed to become a 50 goal-a-season frontman.

At just 19 years of age, one of the most exciting talents in the global game has already achieved more than he could ever have imagined .

He is a two-time Ligue 1 title winner, having made the breakthrough at Monaco before moving to PSG, while a memorable summer in 2018 saw him claim World Cup glory with his country.

Mbappe’s remarkable exploits have also earned him a Ballon d’Or nomination alongside the likes of Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luka Modric and Neymar .

Atletico Madrid striker Griezmann is another on that list and he believes there is still more to come from his precociously-gifted international colleague who is already drawing comparisons with all-time greats.

“Kylian reminds me of Cristiano when he was in Manchester,” Griezmann told France Football.

“Cristiano was the guy out wide, doing a lot of dribbling and occasionally scoring. He was not looking for goals, though.

“When Kylian does what Cristiano did in Madrid, thinking only about scoring, then he will do the same. He will be scoring 50 goals per season.”

Mbappe’s latest outing saw him net four times for PSG in their demolition of domestic rivals Lyon, with the youngster admitting afterwards that he could have done even more .

Despite securing another match ball, a number of opportunities passed him by and Griezmann has revealed that he often teases his fellow Les Bleus star over his finishing ability.

He added: “In front of goal in training, Kylian is not all that.

“I tease him often – I ask him how he manages to score so many goals. When we do finishing drills, he never wins. As soon as he changes that, though, he will be a force to be reckoned with.”

Griezmann is prepared to offer a helping hand in Mbappe’s rise to the very top, with the 27-year-old already providing advice when he spots an area of his developing game that he feels can be improved.

“Kylian has to want to go and score – the goal that he scored against Liverpool [in the Champions League] came from the middle,” he added.

“I messaged him afterwards and said: ‘You need to call for the ball closer to the goal. If we do not give you the ball, you need to lose the guy. You must get on the ball in the middle’.”

Griezmann and Mbappe are about to be reunited within the French fold, with the world champions preparing for a friendly date with Iceland before a UEFA Nations League clash with Germany.