Pele Says Kylian Mbappe Doesn't Need Transfer, Can Become World's Best at PSG

Brazil icon Pele has said he doesn't believe Kylian Mbappe needs to leave Paris Saint-Germain to become an all-time great. 

Mbappe is already one of the best players in the world, having excelled for club and country since bursting onto the scene. This season he's already netted 27 goals in 24 Ligue 1 appearances for the French champions.

Given PSG are such a dominant force in French football, Pele was asked whether Mbappe needed to show his quality elsewhere if he's going to go down in history, per Le Parisien (h/t AS).

"He doesn't need to leave PSG," said the Brazilian. "He must continue playing as he is because he will become the best in the world. If we compare him with Pele (speaking in the third person), Pele never left Santos to be the best player in the world."

Recently, Mbappe has been linked with a possible move away from the French capital, with Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane addressing reports linking the sensation with a switch to Los Blancos, per Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC:

Pele also said he feels as if his own playing style is comparable with the PSG starlet's:

"He is not as handsome as I am! But seriously, what brings us closer together is the ability to resolve matches that was one of my strengths during my career: understanding and finding a solution in a second, for example, with changes of direction.

"He has the opportunity to have the same luck I had in football. I had a gift from God, and good luck. I often tell young people: today, football is more physical than in my time. Mbappe is physically prepared to achieve his goals."

Pele was speaking at the first meeting between himself and Mbappe in Paris on Tuesday. The PSG player posted the following snaps of the two together:

As relayed by Scouted Football, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has previously compared Mbappe with the Brazilian icon:

Like Pele, the PSG No. 7 has been able to accomplish plenty at an early point in his career. 

Already Mbappe is a two-time French champion and on course for a third this season. However, the high point of his career so far came last summer, as the forward starred for France as a 19-year-old on their way to FIFA World Cup glory.

Following on from that tournament, the striker has been able to kick on again. Here's the latest of his many goals this term:

Pele is rated as one of the greatest players of all time, having won the World Cup three times with Brazil, the first of which came as a 17-year-old. In the summer, Mbappe became the first teenager to score in the competition final since Pele did so in 1958.

Of course, Mbappe has a long way to go before he is held in the same esteem as the Brazilian. Still, it's hard not to be excited about what he may accomplish following an incredible start to his career.