Cesc Fabregas Talks 'Phenomenon' Kylian Mbappe, Predicts He'll Be Best in World

Monaco midfielder Cesc Fabregas has predicted Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe will become the best player in the world.

Fabregas moved to Ligue 1 in January when he joined Mbappe's former side, and he was asked about the Frenchman in an interview with AS' Aritz Gabilondo.

He said of the 20-year-old:

"He's a phenomenon. He's clearly going to be the best player in the world in the future.

"I always think like a midfielder, and if I had him in front of me I'd be giving him assists all the time because he's so fast, explosive, but he's also very clever in slipping his markers.

"He has his timing down perfectly. [Thierry] Henry and Diego Costa were also brilliant at that.

"The thing that stands out about Mbappe is that he's so hungry. He knows how to exploit his ability."

Mbappe's senior career is less than four years old, but he's already enjoyed an incredible amount of success.

The forward broke into the Monaco team in 2015, shortly before his 17th birthday, and he left the club to join PSG—initially on loan—in 2017.

In that time, he made 60 appearances for Monaco, contributing 27 goals and 16 assists. His efforts helped the club to win the Ligue 1 title in the 2016-17 season, in which they also made it to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

He has added two more league titles to his collection with PSG, as well as the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue.

Mbappe has enjoyed plenty of highlights at the Parc des Princes:

In 91 appearances, he has returned 62 goals and 33 assists.

He recently reached a milestone in Ligue 1 too:

International success has also followed, and he was a key part of the France side that won the FIFA World Cup in 2018.

Mbappe is a versatile player in the final third, having spent time in his short career as a centre-forward or on one of the flanks.

He has the searing pace to show defenders a clean set of heels, and he's a clinical finisher too:

The youngster is creative and skilful on top of that, but what perhaps separates him most from his peers is his decision-making and consistency.

Those qualities belie his youth and are perhaps the biggest factor in his emergence as the player most likely to inherit Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's mantle as the best in the world.

He needs longevity if he's to match the Barcelona and Juventus forwards, but as age begins to slow the duo in the coming years, he's the obvious candidate to replace them at the pinnacle of the game.