A French legend lashes out at Mbappé and warns Xabi Alonso

One of the best players Xabi Alonso has for this season is Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman, after the first three matches of the campaign, remains a lethal striker in front of the opposing goal. However, Jean-Pierre Papin, a legend of French soccer, warned Xabi Alonso: "He'll never be a 'number nine' in the box."

"You either have it or you don't" were the words Papin used to strongly criticize his compatriot. Although he took into account his great last season, this doesn't seem to have been enough to impress Papin. The Frenchman, during his time as a player, was one of the best forwards in the world and, clearly, one of the most lethal.

"He doesn't have the ability to stop and keep himself where he needs to be... his other weak point is his heading game," Papin added to his remarks. With this, the former French player sought to warn Xabi Alonso about Mbappé's shortcomings as a number 9. Even so, Papin himself has also acknowledged that: "Mbappé has the qualities to be a great number 9."

Mbappé's role

At 26 years old, Kylian Mbappé is playing his second season as a Real Madrid player. Despite his complicated adaptation to his new role, Mbappé managed to break several records in his debut campaign. Established as the main reference in Real Madrid's attack, Mbappé scored 44 goals that earned him the Golden Boot.

An achievement that showed the evolution Mbappé has undergone, going from being a left winger to a center forward. Although Papin's criticism has been harsh, Mbappé is a player who always seeks to improve. Papin himself has acknowledged that: "You can always learn; as long as you want to learn."

While under Carlo Ancelotti, Mbappé managed to shine, with Xabi Alonso, the French striker is ready to make history. Having played just 3 matches this season, Mbappé has already scored 3 goals. This shows that, despite the criticism, Mbappé is ready to correct his shortcomings and finally establish himself as the best forward in the world.

The commitment of the season

Long before his arrival at Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappé was already known for being a very focused and committed player. If he makes a mistake or performs at a poor level, Mbappé makes sure to correct this quickly. That's why, in the face of Papin's criticism, the Real Madrid player already knows the areas where he needs to improve his game.