Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel rates Kylian Mbappe’s chances of surpassing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel believes ‘shark’ Kylian Mbappe can reach the levels of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo but has warned the Paris Saint-German superstar that two of the all-time greats will ‘never step aside’.

Despite only being 22, Mbappe is already considered one of the best players in world football and has scored 90 goals in 110 matches for PSG, including a brilliant hat-trick in last week’s Champions League win over Barcelona.

The forward was an integral part of the France squad that won the World Cup in 2018 and has been tipped by many to take over from Messi and Ronaldo when the Barcelona and Juventus legends retire.

Tuchel, who managed Mbappe while PSG manager, also believes the Frenchman has what it takes to reach Messi and Ronaldo’s level.

‘They will never step aside, those two, they will never step aside,’ the Chelsea boss said.

If he wants to be there he has to push them aside, this is totally clear. No one will step aside for him.

‘Scoring a hat-trick at the Nou Camp is a message and is what he demands from himself. It is his potential and it is what he has in him.

‘He is still young and super hungry but he is a shark in his mentality. He wants to grab everything that he can.

‘So this is the mentality you need, and I mean it in the most positive way because he’s a super nice, intelligent and funny guy.

‘But once he’s on the pitch he’s a shark, this is what the big guys are. If you drop one drop of blood in the water they arrive and this is Kylian.

‘If he wants to enter the level of these guys that you mention, who have been there for years and years and not ready to step aside just because he arrives, he has to take it.

‘But I think he will do everything to do it.’

Follow Metro Sport across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.