Kylian Mbappe must head to either LaLiga or the Premier League if he wishes to compete at the top level, believes ex-Barcelona forward Hristo Stoichkov.

The Paris Saint-Germain superstar is the subject of another visible public struggle over his future with the Ligue 1 champions amid a contract stand-off.

Having turned down joining Real Madrid last year in favour of a new two-year deal at Parc des Princes, the World Cup-winning forward is now refusing to sign an extension.

That has led to the 24-year-old being dropped for his side's pre-season tour of Asia, and Stoichkov believes Mbappe must force the move abroad if he is to truly challenge himself.

"He is a great player," he told Stats Perform. "We have spoken off camera and he has told me that his greater dream is to win the Ballon d'Or. It is difficult to reach his level and even more so to stay at that level.

"Perhaps PSG opted for him, for [Lionel] Messi, for Neymar, for Sergio Ramos and for [Gianluigi] Donnarumma to have a competitive team and be able to win the Champions League, but it couldn't be.

"If Mbappe wants to compete big, he has to go to the Spanish league or the Premier [League]. In England, there are teams that can sign him, [like] Manchester City, Liverpool or Arsenal.

"But he has to choose the path where he feels most comfortable because it won't be easy. He will have a lot more pressure and with the press on him.

"Kylian is a great guy and very humble. Some say that he is arrogant, but he is not. He is very well off, and he knows very well what he wants to do.

"Hopefully sooner or later Kylian will have the opportunity to lift the Ballon d'Or because he deserves it."

Following a decade-and-a-half dominated by the powers of Mbappe's former team-mate Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the illustrious duo's departure from Europe has effectively ended a sporting era.

Stoichkov believes Mbappe sits near the summit of a new group of players looking to be considered the best in the world, predicting a great rivalry with Erling Haaland and Vinicius Junior.

"Now begins another era with big names, as in mine there was Roberto Baggio, [Michael] Laudrup, me, Michel, [Emilio] Butragueno, [Jurgen] Klinsmann or [Lothar] Matthaus, many great players.

"Then this time came with two phenomena like Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo where the two always fought. Now comes another with a litter of fantastic players.

"Haaland, Mbappe, Vinicius, Pedri, Gavi, other players who can get close. In the coming years, we will see a great rivalry between Haaland, Mbappe and Vinicius who are the strikers who make the big difference."

Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe scored for France in their 3-0 victory over Gibraltar in European Championship qualifying.

Giroud netted after only three minutes but a penalty from Mbappe just before half-time was the only other chance that the World Cup finalists converted before a late own goal from Aymen Mouelhi as France maintained their 100 per cent record in Group B.

In Group C, Ukraine fought back from 2-0 down to beat North Macedonia 3-2 and claim their first victory.

Enis Bardhi put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot and Elif Elmas doubled their advantage before the break.

But Illya Zabarnyi and Yukhym Konoplya scored within five minutes of each other to draw Ukraine level and Visar Musliu was then shown a second yellow card for North Macedonia before Viktor Tsygankov grabbed the winner seven minutes from time.

There was also late drama in Group D, where Turkey won their second game with a 3-2 victory over Latvia.

After goals from Abdulkerim Bardakci and Cengiz Under for Turkey either side of Eduards Emsis’ strike, Latvia looked to have secured a point when Kristers Tobers scored deep into injury time.

But Turkey went down the other end and Irfan Can Kahveci netted the winner a minute later.

Four teams are on six points in Group H, with Finland and Kazakhstan joining Denmark and Slovenia.

Teemu Pukki set up goals for Joel Pohjanpalo and Oliver Antman in Finland’s 2-0 win over Slovenia, while Kazakhstan defeated San Marino 3-0.

Switzerland made it three wins from three with a 2-1 victory over Andorra in Group I.

Remo Freuler and Zeki Amdouni put the Swiss two up before half-time but Marcio Vieira pulled one back for Andorra in the 67th minute.

Two late goals helped Israel to a 2-1 victory over Belarus, their first win of the campaign.

Belarus looked to be heading for the three points through Max Ebong’s 16th-minute opener but Shonn Weissman equalised with a penalty five minutes from time and teenager Oscar Gloukh netted an injury-time winner.

Also in Group I, Kosovo secured their third draw, holding Romania to a goalless stalemate in Pristina.

What the papers say

Many of the papers speculate over Kylian Mbappe‘s future after the striker told Paris St Germain he did not want to extend his contract beyond 2024.

Metro says Manchester United will lead the race to sign the 24-year-old if Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani completes his takeover at Old Trafford.

The Times reports Real Madrid is the France international’s “most likely destination”, although Premier League clubs including Chelsea are expected to register their interest. Manchester City had also previously shown an interest in the forward but have since signed Erling Haaland.

Elsewhere, Arsenal are seeking buyers for winger Nicolas Pepe and have no plans to reintegrate the £72 million club-record signing into their first-team squad ahead of next season, the Daily Telegraph says. The 28-year-old spent the 2022-23 campaign on loan at French side Nice.

According to The Guardian, Romelu Lukaku has been offered a deal worth up to £20m a season by Al-Hilal, with Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech, 30, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 33, and Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez, 32, also being targeted by clubs in Saudi Arabia. Chelsea striker Lukaku spent last season on loan at Inter Milan.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Manu Kone: The Daily Mail reports that Aston Villa and Wolves are interested in Borussia Monchengladbach’s 22-year-old midfielder, who has also been linked with Liverpool.

David Raya: The Evening Standard says Tottenham are close to agreeing personal terms with the 27-year-old Brentford goalkeeper and hope to negotiate a lower fee with the Bees, who want £40m.

Kylian Mbappe could be on the move this summer following reports the France forward has written to Paris St Germain telling them he would not be signing a new contract.

The 24-year-old, signed from Monaco for £160million in 2018 which was a world-record fee for a teenager, will see his current deal expire next year and PSG must now decide whether to cash in on the prolific striker or risk losing him for free.

Here, the PA news agency looks at a number of potential moves for Mbappe, who became just the second man in history to score a World Cup final hat-trick as France lost on penalties to Argentina in Qatar last year.

Real Madrid

The LaLiga giants have been long-time admirers of Mbappe and would likely to be able to muster the financial clout required to get a deal across the line.
Real have already made a move for England midfielder Jude Bellingham and have been linked with his international team-mate Harry Kane as they look to challenge for top honours again next season.
With Karim Benzema departing for Al-Ittihad, Real head coach Carlo Ancelotti will be keen to add proven firepower to his attack and Mbappe – with 212 goals in 260 PSG appearances – certainly ticks that box.

Manchester United

The Red Devils improved last season under Erik ten Hag but are still some distance off challenging neighbours Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
The ongoing uncertainty of takeover bids may yet destabilise summer transfer business – but what a jewel in the crown Mbappe would be for any potential new owners at Old Trafford.
Like Real, United would probably be able to make the deal work financially and they do have their famous number seven shirt, also favoured by the Frenchman, ready and waiting for someone to fill it.

Chelsea

A number of other Premier League clubs could make a move for Mbappe – treble winners City would be an attractive destination while Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle may struggle with the numbers behind such a transfer.
Chelsea missing out on European football means the Blues become an outside prospect to make a swoop but owner Todd Boehly has already proven he is not shy in splashing the cash in west London.
Some £600million has been spent in a year so the potentially eye-watering figures for Mbappe may not be as off-putting to Boehly as they would be to other suitors.

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With the Saudi Pro League looking to bring in some of the biggest names in world football, could Mbappe be tempted to head to the Middle East in his prime?
Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Al Nassr earlier this year with former Real team-mate Benzema joining him in Saudi Arabia and the likes of N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez also linked with big-money deals.
At 24, Mbappe may feel the timing is not right to relocate to a league outside of those at the very top of the sport and away from the lures of chasing a first Champions League trophy.

Stay put

Mbappe could yet remain at Paris St Germain, stranger things have certainly happened.
With Lionel Messi leaving the French capital and heading to Inter Miami and also some questions over the future of fellow superstar forward Neymar, the Ligue 1 champions are coming to a crossroads in how they move forward.
If Mbappe can be tempted to stay and sign a new deal he would undoubtedly be the main man in Paris, while if the club refuse to sell or cannot get the value they want he may yet play another season before leaving for nothing in 12 months.

Real Madrid are in the market for a new centre-forward after announcing Karim Benzema’s departure.

The France international scored 354 goals in 648 appearances to become Real’s second all-time top scorer, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, during a 14-year stay in the Spanish capital.

Here, the PA news agency runs the rule over the main contenders to succeed Benzema at the Bernabeu.

Harry Kane

England captain Kane would appear to be a natural fit for Real given his unceasing ability to score goals for Tottenham.

Kane, who has one year left on his Spurs contract, turns 30 next month, but that is unlikely to put Real off a striker who is the Premier League’s second highest goalscorer and will be strongly coveted by Manchester United and others this summer.

Real have tempted Gareth Bale and Luka Modric away from Tottenham in the past and might be hopeful of striking a deal, with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy unwilling to sell Kane to a Premier League rival in the past.

Kylian Mbappe

The World Cup winner was seemingly on his way to Madrid last summer before choosing to stay at Paris St Germain and chase Champions League glory there.

Like Kane, Mbappe comes with a goals guarantee as he has scored more than 200 for PSG, but the Frenchman has more time on his side than the England forward as he does not celebrate his 25th birthday until December.

Mbappe is a thrilling spectacle in full flight and releasing him from his eye-watering PSG contract, which runs until June 2025, might take a world record transfer fee.

Victor Osimhen

Napoli’s first Serie A title for 33 years was fuelled by the goals of Osimhen.

The 24-year-old Nigeria star scored 26 goals in 32 games, with the 6ft 1in striker’s game based around pace, power and athleticism.

Osimhen has two years remaining on his current Napoli deal and has also attracted interest from Manchester United, with Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag known to be a big admirer.

Kai Havertz

On the face of it, Germany international Havertz would appear to be a strange replacement for goal machine Benzema.

It would not be a like-for-like signing as the 23-year-old Havertz, in a false nine role, struggled to provide the goals Chelsea needed last season.

But his tactical intelligence could enable him to dovetail well with Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior and Real could get a reduction on the £76million Chelsea paid Bayer Leverkusen for Havertz in 2020.

Jonathan David

Canada striker David has a growing reputation for club and country and seems ready to step on to a bigger stage after spells in Belgium and France.

The 23-year-old has scored over 50 Ligue 1 goals for Lille since joining from Gent in 2020, 24 of them coming this season.

David is known for his pace and versatility, as well his pressing ability out of possession, and can also operate as a second striker.

Boris Becker fears Alexander Zverev's injury problems may impact his fellow German's chances of winning a first grand slam at the upcoming French Open.

Zverev reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros last year, but his chances of winning a maiden grand slam title were ended when an ankle injury forced him to retire from his last-four clash with eventual champion Rafael Nadal.

Zverev subsequently required surgery to repair damaged ligaments before a bone edema suffered in September further delayed his return to the court.

The German finally made his competitive comeback in December but struggled at the Australian Open the following month, crashing out in the second round to unheralded American Michael Mmoh.

With the 26-year-old heading to Roland Garros later this month looking to reach the semi-finals for the third straight year, Becker has serious doubts over his compatriot's chances of claiming victory.

Asked whether he felt Zverev could come out on top, Becker told Stats Perform: "I hope so. I hope so.

"At the moment he is in a bit of a crisis because he had a very severe injury last year in the semi-final against Nadal. 

"He literally broke his ankle. He was out for seven months and just came back this year. So he's still struggling.

"I think for the title, I don't think anybody German [will win] this year. I think it'll be a Spaniard, it'll be a Serbian, it'll be an Italian, somebody like that."

The French Open was the only grand slam singles title that evaded Becker during his hugely successful career, with the tennis great winning three Wimbledon titles, two Australian Open crowns and the 1989 US Open.

The former world number one believes the beauty of tennis lies in individuals coping with pressure, explaining there is no opportunity to exploit the talents of others to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

"Tennis is a very important sport," Becker said. "It's an individual sport. You can actually see it with one player, whether he's winning or losing.

"In a team, sometimes people can hide behind the likes of [Lionel] Messi or [Kylian] Mbappe. You're still a World Cup winner, even though you know it was either Mbappe or Messi, right?

"In tennis, it's not possible. You have to be the better player and that is why tennis is such a powerful sport, because you see who is better with your own eyes."

Kylian Mbappe's double helped Paris Saint-Germain take another step towards retaining their Ligue 1 title, thrashing Ajaccio 5-0 as Lionel Messi returned from his club-issued suspension.

Messi was jeered by some home fans throughout his first appearance since an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, but Mbappe took the focus away with a second-half brace.

Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi had earlier given PSG a commanding half-time lead, and Ajaccio's Mohamed Youssouf later put through his own net as the visitors' relegation to Ligue 2 was confirmed.

Both teams finished with 10 men as Hakimi and Thomas Mangani were dismissed for trading punches, but that was not enough to dampen PSG's spirits as they restored their six-point cushion to second-placed Lens.

Fabian's second goal in as many games broke the deadlock 22 minutes in, the Spaniard charging into the area before finishing well with the outside of his left boot.

Hakimi soon doubled PSG's lead, tapping in the rebound when Francois-Joseph Sollacaro parried Mbappe's shot, with the referee opting against penalising Mbappe for handball after an on-pitch VAR review. 

Mbappe got himself on the scoresheet inside 90 seconds of the second half, with his shot squirming under Sollacaro following a goalmouth scramble.

If Mbappe's first goal was fortuitous, his second – arriving seven minutes later – was sublime as he fired a fierce volley into the top-left corner following Cedric Avinel's failure to clear a long ball.

Mbappe was involved again as PSG scored a fifth with 17 minutes remaining. His rabona cross was cleared as far as Marquinhos, whose low effort struck Youssouf and found the bottom-right corner.

Tempers flared late on as Hakimi and Mangani saw red for throwing punches amid a scuffle, but that was as much fight as Ajaccio showed in a dispiriting outing.

Kylian Mbappe was joined on the scoresheet by Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz as Paris Saint-Germain put a tumultuous week behind them with a 3-1 win at Troyes, restoring their six-point lead at the Ligue 1 summit. 

After a chaotic few days in which PSG suspended Lionel Messi over an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia and admonished fans for protesting outside Neymar's home, the champions were in full control at Stade de l'Aube.

Mbappe headed an early opener from almost directly underneath the crossbar, before Vitinha bundled home a second after the break.

Xavier Chavalerin's late header halved the arrears, but Fabian fired off the post and in to seal PSG's victory, re-establishing their six-point cushion to closest challengers Lens.

Hugo Ekitike prodded into the side netting as PSG sought a fast start and the Ligue 1 leaders went ahead after just eight minutes, Mbappe nodding in from close range after Vitinha's cross deflected against the crossbar.

A brief stoppage followed as supporters threw flares onto the pitch, with Fabian drawing two smart saves from Gauthier Gallon when play resumed.

Danilo Pereira headed narrowly over as PSG dominated possession, while Gianluigi Donnarumma tipped Mama Balde's diving header wide when Troyes finally threatened on the stroke of half-time. 

Gallon had to remain alert to keep Troyes in the contest after the restart, pushing Ekitike's low drive away before making himself big to deny Marco Verratti from a tight angle.

PSG had the two-goal lead they deserved after 59 minutes, though there was a hint of fortune about Vitinha's strike as the ball ricocheted in off his shin after Gallon saved his header.

Chavalerin appeared to have set up a grandstand finish when he nodded home with seven minutes left, but Fabian went up the other end and curled home from the edge of the area, sealing the points.

Paris Saint-Germain's 10 men slipped up at the Ligue 1 summit once again after they suffered a 3-1 loss against a worthy Lorient on Sunday.

Achraf Hakimi's 20th-minute dismissal for a second yellow card followed Enzo Le Fee's surprise opener for the visitors at Parc des Princes.

Although Kylian Mbappe brought Christophe Galtier's side back on equal terms with a controversial finish, goals from Darlin Yongwa and Bamba Dieng handed the hosts another defeat.

It is their third in sixth league matches, although PSG retain a healthy gap to second-placed Marseille, eight points back with a single game in hand.

The signs of a potential PSG implosion were there inside the opening exchanges when Hakimi clattered through Romain Faivre with his studs.

It went from bad to worse for the home side when Le Fee smashed in from six yards following a cut-back, before Hakimi got his marching orders after he lunged in on Yongwa's foot.

Mbappe restored parity with a moment of bizarre opportunity after goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo mistakenly thought he had a free-kick and dropped the ball in his box, allowing the striker to pounce on an open net.

But Lorient would not be kept level for long, and when a defensive block inside the PSG box went awry, Yongwa was there to pounce and claim back the lead.

Despite the man disadvantage, PSG pushed hard for another equaliser after the break, with Sergio Ramos inching a header over before the hour mark.

Lorient picked them off on the counter, however. After Dieng saw a tap-in chalked off for offside late on, he belatedly got his goal after seizing on a long ball for a breakaway goal.

Kolo Toure sees no reason why Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe cannot take up the mantle of football's great rivalry.

Haaland scored his 49th goal of the season as Manchester City thrashed Arsenal 4-1 on Wednesday, while Mbappe is enjoying another stellar campaign at Paris Saint-Germain, as well as having won the Golden Boot at the Qatar World Cup.

Mbappe's 34 goals across all competitions this term is bettered only by Haaland's extraordinary tally when it comes to players from Europe's top five leagues.

With Mbappe's club-mate Lionel Messi reaching the twilight of his career and Cristiano Ronaldo having left Europe for Saudi Arabia, former City and Arsenal defender Toure has no doubt the France star, 24, and Haaland, 22, will be the players battling it out at the pinnacle of the game.

"Absolutely, absolutely. They are both incredibly great players," Toure told Stats Perform.

"Young, hungry players with big qualities, playing for top clubs. You can see that the rivalry is coming, you can feel that, because they're both goal scorers.

"They have different qualities obviously. There is one who really is a good scorer and there is one who – yeah he can score goals, but at the same time, he can provide, he can dribble.

"It's going to be really interesting to see both of them fighting, because they are the next generation, definitely."

Haaland, who supplied two assists for Kevin De Bruyne against Arsenal, lacked his usual clinical edge in the game, seeing several attempts saved by Aaron Ramsdale before he ultimately got his goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

That took Haaland onto 33 league goals for the season, a new record for a 38-game Premier League campaign and one away from the competition's best-ever tally of 34 (held by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole).

"He is a very dominant striker," Toure said of the Norway international.

"But, one thing I have to say is he chose the right thing for him, because he's a goal scorer and he needs to play for a team that provides him the ball.

"When you have De Bruyne, you have [Bernardo] Silva, you have [Ilkay] Gundogan, you have Jack Grealish, unbelievable players around him providing the ball, the quality they're showing to support him is incredibly great.

"That's so clever from the boy, he made the right choice.

"He got to the right team. We're going to do the work for him to just finish, because he's a finisher.

"His control, the way he handled the ball to bring the team up when Arsenal were pressing them, it was unbelievable. I saw a player who can get the ball from the feet, take the ball, dribble past two, three, three players and have a shot.

"That shows the quality he has and there's big room for him to just keep improving. He is in the right team, he has the right manager and he will keep improving definitely. But, what he has shown is unbelievable."

Erling Haaland's goalscoring feats are comparable to those of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, according to Bernardo Silva, who believes his Manchester City team-mate shares the former's hunger for goals.

Haaland has led City's push for a Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup treble this season, scoring at a remarkable rate since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund last year.

The Norwegian has hit 48 goals in 42 appearances across all competitions this campaign – already a record tally for a player representing a Premier League club. 

Haaland has averaged a goal every 67.2 minutes and converted 58.6 per cent of his Opta-defined big chances for City, leaving Silva to compare his mentality to that of his Portugal colleague Ronaldo.

"The goal figures, it's unbelievable. It's Cristiano and Messi level, that amount of goals," Silva told Arab News.

"Hopefully Erling can keep going that way because we need his goals until the last game of the season.

"He has definitely got the same mentality as Cristiano, always wanting to be in the box, always wanting to score. 

"He doesn't care if he touches the ball one or two times, when he touches it, he scores. He's just a proper striker."

Haaland's total of 54 goal contributions is the best of anyone playing in Europe's top five leagues this season, with Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe second with 42 (34 goals, eight assists).

With Ronaldo's move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr likely signalling the end of his era-defining rivalry with Messi, Silva was asked whether Haaland and Mbappe could be the protagonists of a similar struggle in the future.

"Probably, yes," Silva said. "You have a few players apart from them who are doing very well, like Vinicius [Junior] as well. But it's true, those two are very young and doing very well.

"Kylian is more of a dribbler with the ball and Haaland is mainly inside the box like a proper striker, but both are very, very good at what they do. 

"It's not going to be easy to match the level that Cristiano and Messi did, but they are up there at the top."

Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain edged out Angers 2-1 at Stade Raymond-Kopa.

Moving 11 points clear at the Ligue 1 summit despite a generally below-par display, the runaway leaders did the damage in the first half against the division's bottom side, whose relegation could be confirmed this weekend.

Mbappe's pair of well-taken goals inside the opening 26 minutes took his tally for the season to 34 in all competitions, though the visitors were denied a clean sheet by Sada Thioub's late strike.

Nevertheless, PSG registered their 14th successive league win over Angers, equalling their own record for consecutive victories over a single opponent in the French top flight (against Nantes).

Angers had the first opportunity when Batista Mendy's throughball released Ibrahima Niane, but Gianluigi Donnarumma was quickly out of his goal to deny him.

PSG broke the deadlock just four minutes later. Juan Bernat cushioned Lionel Messi's delicious diagonal ball into Mbappe who, despite fluffing his first attempt, recovered to eventually scramble home.

Messi was instrumental again as the visitors doubled their lead in the 26th minute, playing a sublime throughball for Mbappe to latch onto and round Angers goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni before slotting in.

The visitors pushed to stretch their advantage, with Achraf Hakimi firing over nine minutes into the second half, while Mbappe went close to completing his hat-trick when Bernardoni tipped over his dipping 35-yard effort.

Angers rallied and halved the deficit three minutes from time when Abdallah Sima cushioned Yan Valery's cross for Thioub to tuck home. But PSG held out to edge a step closer to yet another Ligue 1 title.

Kylian Mbappe took sole ownership of another piece of Paris Saint-Germain history on Saturday when he scored against Lens.

Mbappe's goal was his 139th for the club in Ligue 1, moving beyond former team-mate Edinson Cavani for a PSG record.

As with the all-competitions record, which was Cavani's until Mbappe passed him at the start of last month, it is an honour that has changed hands with some regularity in recent seasons.

Before Zlatan Ibrahimovic, nobody had scored 100 top-flight goals for PSG, with Mustapha Dahleb's tally of 85 the benchmark prior to the QSI era.

But Ibrahimovic overtook Dahleb and was then himself overtaken by Cavani. Now, Mbappe is the history man, and it appears highly unlikely that will change any time soon.

Neymar – seven years Mbappe's senior and regularly plagued by injuries – is his nearest rival in the current squad, having scored 82 goals in 112 games.

Mbappe needed 169 Ligue 1 matches to pass Cavani's goals total of 138, which he amassed over exactly 200 league games for PSG. As a result, the France World Cup winner has averaged a goal every 98 minutes versus every 109 minutes for Cavani.

The game against Lens saw Mbappe net in a 98th different Ligue 1 match for PSG, and the 24-year-old will surely continue to score for as long as he remains in Paris.

While Cavani's 138 goals almost exactly matched his 137.8 expected goals, Mbappe has outperformed his xG in all seasons but his first at the club.

A player of such talent still at such a young age, there are no Ligue 1 high marks that look beyond Mbappe.

Marco Verratti has won a record eight titles, but his PSG colleague is not far behind on five. Delio Onnis' overall Ligue 1 goals record stands at 299, unbroken since the 1980s yet well within Mbappe's reach.

However, would either of those two impressive feats change a great deal for Mbappe? His remarkable rate of scoring since joining PSG has already proven there is nothing he cannot do in Ligue 1.

Mbappe's legacy will instead be forged outside of France, as it has been so far. He won Russia 2018 as a 19-year-old, by that stage a back-to-back Ligue 1 champion with two different clubs.

Subsequent frustrations have centred on PSG's failed Champions League exploits. In France, even when PSG have ceded the title, there have been no doubts about Mbappe's status at the top of the game.

At this stage, goals at World Cups – he already has 12 – and in Champions League finals will mean far more to this superstar striker than adding another to his record PSG tallies.

It is the reason why doubts remain around Mbappe's future after this season's latest limp European exit against Bayern Munich.

Surely already PSG's greatest ever player, Real Madrid and the rest will justifiably believe they can give a generational talent the platform he requires to tick off the rest of the items on his bucket list away from the French capital.

No doubt that means another close-season of speculation then – and even Mbappe might struggle to chase down Onnis before May.

Christophe Galtier felt Paris Saint-Germain could have delivered a bigger victory after Kylian Mbappe made Ligue 1 history in their 3-1 win over Lens.

The forward became the club's all-time top goalscorer in the competition after he struck in the first half amid a ruthless purple patch at Parc des Princes.

Further goals inside a blistering nine-minute spell for Vitinha and Lionel Messi helped the hosts run rampant against their title rivals, who had Salis Abdul Samed sent off beforehand.

But even with a comfortable result, Galtier felt his side could have delivered a more impressive second-half performance to match the occasion.

"It was important [to get the win]," he told Canal+. It was a pleasure to win. We benefited from the numerical advantage [we had] in the first half.

"[But] as much in the second half, we let ourselves go a little bit. The positions were no longer respected. We should have been more serious. We have them a little hope."

Victory refocused matters for Galtier on the pitch following a week in which he had dominated headlines off it following allegations of racism during his time in charge of Nice.

The coach is taking legal action over the claims which he denies, which stems from an email allegedly sent by former Nice football director Julien Fournier at the end of last season.

PSG have given their unreserved backing to Galtier, and touching on the matter, he thanked fans for their messages of goodwill and solidarity.

"It is important to have a lot of support, both [in] public, but also on a personal level," he added. "It is a great pleasure.

"All the messages that I have received publicly, it warms my heart, as much for me as for my family, my name. All my life I have been enriched by diversity, that's for sure."

Kylian Mbappe became Paris Saint-Germain's all-time top scorer in Ligue 1 as he helped them to a crucial 3-1 win over 10-man title rivals Lens on Saturday.

The forward made the most of Salis Abdul Samed's 19th-minute dismissal to net his 139th top-flight goal for PSG and overtake Edinson Cavani's haul, beating Brice Samba inside the box.

Further goals from Vitinha and Lionel Messi helped Christophe Galtier's side refocus on the pitch at Parc des Princes amid a week of off-field distractions.

Most importantly, it sees them open up a nine-point gap over Franck Haise's visitors, who face a monumental task to rein in the champions with seven games to go.

A cagey opening quarter exploded into life when Lens found themselves abruptly a man down, after Abdul Samed was shown a straight red for crunching into Achraf Hakimi's ankle.

PSG wasted little time in making their advantage count, with Mbappe driving his history-making goal in off the right post in the 31st minute as the prelude to a purple patch.

Vitinha buried a 25-yard rocket past Samba in the 37th minute to double the lead, before Messi played a one-two with Mbappe and slotted past the keeper three minutes later.

Hopes of a further rout did not come to fruition following the break however, and Lens were gifted a penalty lifeline when VAR cited Fabian Ruiz for a handball shortly before the hour mark.

Przemyslaw Frankowski duly sent Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way, and from there the visitors proceeded to punch above their weight in a lively last half-hour.

But there was to be no great comeback, and with three more points in their back pocket, it is PSG who hold all the cards heading into the final stretch of the season.