Rivaldo: Mbappe has to go EPL or La Liga to be true heir to Messi & Ronaldo

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A Brazilian legend has urged the Parc des Prince frontman to secure a transfer away from Ligue 1 in order to fulfil his potential

Ex-Brazil international Rivaldo feels the PSG superstar must first seal a move to either Spain or England, with the “competitive level” in France not up to the same high standards as in the Premier League or La Liga.

“There’s no doubt Mbappé has the qualities to become one of the best in the world, as he is playing great football and has huge potential,” Rivaldo told Betfair .

“He would be able to develop his talent by playing La Liga or the Premier League. Ligue 1 is clearly below the competitive level of Spain or England.

“With all due respect to PSG, I believe he must leave for a Spanish or big English team in the future to confirm himself as the heir to Messi or Ronaldo. The best players need to play in the best leagues.

“But I think it would be tough for Barcelona to sign him in the future, as he is very expensive due to his young age, world champion status and natural ability that makes him one of the biggest prospects in the world of football.

“If Barca had so many problems in trying to sign Neymar, just imagine how much PSG would be asking for the Frenchman, so it’s almost impossible to bring this excellent player to Catalonia at the moment.”

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Meanwhile, Rivaldo does not think Griezmann is capable of filling the void left by the Brazilian in Barca’s starting XI just yet , insisting it will take time for him to adapt to a new style of play at Camp Nou after spending so many years at Atletico Madrid.

“Barca’s new attacking trio, of Messi, Luis Suárez and Antoine Griezmann (MSG), is giving some good signs and showing it can work in the future, but I don’t believe it will reach Messi, Suarez, Neymar (MSN) level,” he added.

“Neymar is a distinctive player who creates a lot of assists, scores many goals and takes control of the game when needed thanks to his personality. That’s something Griezmann doesn’t have yet, and even though he has scored goals already, he hasn’t fully adapted to his new team’s style of play. It could be a while before we see him playing at the same level as we saw for many years at Atletico Madrid.

“He is not yet irreplaceable in the team and keeps being subbed before the end of matches. That doesn’t happen to Messi or Suárez. Even when they are not playing well, they stay on the pitch thanks to their status and ability to make the difference at any time.”

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