Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland can reach the levels of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, according to former Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Mohamed Sissoko.

 

Both PSG forward Mbappe and Manchester City striker Haaland have proven to be highly talented players with phenomenal goalscoring records in recent seasons.

 

Haaland scored 67 goals in his two and a half seasons in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, and has subsequently lit up the Premier League since his transfer to City – scoring 14 goals in 10 outings in all competitions for Pep Guardiola’s side.

 

Meanwhile, PSG’s main man Mbappe has not been shy of scoring goals for some years now and on the biggest of stages, not least in the 2018 World Cup final with France.

 

With Messi and Ronaldo approaching the twilight of their respective careers, questions over who is to replace them have inevitably arisen.

 

Sissoko believes Mbappe and Haaland can reach those levels, telling Stats Perform: “They are scoring a lot of goals. They are different players also.

 

“I think Mbappe is a top player, Haaland also. I think they can reach Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, for sure.”

Much was made of PSG’s transfer window, with Mbappe initially linked with a move away before he decided to stay under new head coach Christophe Galtier, who was brought in as Mauricio Pochettino’s replacement.

 

Sissoko commented: “I think [Galtier] is the right appointment. He knows French culture. He worked with a lot of Portuguese people so he knows how to manage this type of player.

 

“He has a sporting director [who is] very good and very respectful. So I think they are doing everything well to win, one day, the Champions League.”

 

When pressed further of PSG’s chances of winning that illustrious first Champions League, Sissoko said: “I don’t know because the teams are very strong, like Bayern Munich and Manchester City. All of them are very good. We will see.”

 

 

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Kwame Anane